Budget leaves families facing unaffordable winter bills – Bacik
Budget leaves families facing unaffordable winter bills – Bacik - The Labour Party
- Failure to introduce energy credits will leave families scrambling
- 500,000 energy bills already in arrears
- Energy bills set to increase 6-9%
Challenging the Taoiseach at Leaders’ Questions following yesterday’s Budget 2027, Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD questioned the decision to prioritise capital gains tax cuts over energy relief for struggling households.
She said the Budget failed to address the immediate cost-of-living pressures facing workers and families.
Deputy Bacik said:
“Families are already approaching winter worried about how they will heat their homes, pay their bills and get to work.
“For workers already counting every euro, this Budget fails to offer real relief while leaving the costs that put household finances under pressure largely untouched.
“Martina, a worker earning €33,500 a year, contacted me today to ask how an extra €4 a week could possibly meet the increases she faces. Her question deserves a serious answer. People who get up every morning and go to work should be able to afford a warm home.
“This Government had choices. It could have introduced targeted energy credits for struggling households and invested properly in measures that permanently reduce bills.
“Instead, it chose capital gains tax cuts costing more than €200 million while hundreds of thousands face energy arrears.
“At a time when energy companies are reaping enormous profits, Budget 2027 failed to slap a windfall tax on these profits to protect bill payers.
“The Taoiseach’s response today was deeply disappointing. He failed to engage with the immediate pressures people face, or explain why this Government rejected targeted help with their energy bills.
“Labour’s Alternative Budget 2027 proposed €400 energy credits for 1.2 million households, alongside a windfall tax on energy companies and data centres. We also proposed that the State bulk-buy free plug-in solar units for those most in need, backed by investment in renewables and retrofitting.
“These are practical measures to reduce household costs and support climate action.
“A Budget that leaves commuters facing a 15% fare increase and freezes active travel funding makes that task harder.
“The failure to introduce targeted €400 energy credits, funded through taxing energy windfalls, alongside investment in solar, renewables and retrofitting to bring bills down permanently, will surely see this Government back working on an emergency mini-Budget this winter. Families deserve affordable energy and security this winter. Budget 2027 failed spectacularly to give them this certainty.”