People cannot afford to pay for this Government\u2019s haphazard handling of the cost-of-living crisis, according to Social Democrats finance spokesperson Cian O\u2019Callaghan.<\/p>\n
Deputy O\u2019Callaghan said:<\/p>\n
\u201cFigures released today by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show there is no end in sight to the skyrocketing cost-of-living crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrices have risen a further 3.6 per cent in the last year \u2013 another increase that people simply cannot afford.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the main drivers of this relentless rise in in everyday costs is energy bills, which have soared by a staggering 15.5 per cent in the last 12 months.<\/p>\n
\u201cDecisive action is well overdue from this Government. They must help people who need it now while also investing in a cheaper and greener future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Social Democrats have called for a \u20ac400 targeted energy credit for households earning less than \u20ac70,000 a year. This targeted measure would provide immediate relief for those suffering the most from exorbitant bills.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have also put forward our \u2018Solar For All\u2019 plan, which would dramatically expand and improve supports for solar panel installation. Existing grants would be doubled, the \u20ac1,000 grant for batteries would be reinstated, and free solar panels would be provided as part of the Warmer Homes Scheme.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need action now to bring down energy bills, drive down inflation and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.\u201d<\/p>\n
April 29, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" People cannot afford to pay for this Government\u2019s haphazard handling of the cost-of-living crisis, according to Social Democrats finance spokesperson Cian O\u2019Callaghan. Deputy O\u2019Callaghan said: \u201cFigures released today by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show there is no end in sight to the skyrocketing cost-of-living crisis. \u201cPrices have risen a further 3.6 per cent in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7778,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[278,650,88,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cian-ocallaghan","category-cost-of-living","category-finance","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n