• Labour launches Cost of Living Plan
Labour’s Councillor Francis Timmons in Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas has announced the launch of Labour’s Cost of Living action plan, aimed squarely at combating price gouging and easing the immense strain of high living costs on families.
Cllr. Timmons said,
“With bills skyrocketing and the cost of essential goods constantly on the rise, Labour has stepped in with a bold plan to make wages go further and tackle profiteering. For too long, under Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, families in Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas and beyond have faced steep and permanent increases in costs. Labour’s action plan offers hope to hard-pressed families across Ireland.
“Under Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, we’ve seen living costs surge and wages struggle to keep up. In Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas , ordinary people are forced to pay more than they should, whether it’s on electricity, insurance, or basic services. Government has been too slow to address blatant price gouging, and its families here in Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas that are suffering the consequences. With the introduction of our Cost of Living plan, Labour is taking decisive action to protect incomes from inflation, increase low pay, and bring down the cost of essentials.”
Labour’s comprehensive Cost of Living plan includes:
Protecting incomes from inflation
Raising low pay rates
Reducing electricity prices to the European average
Tackling high insurance costs
Ending the penalty on instalment payments
Making lower prices available by eliminating the loyalty penalty
Banning automatic annual price increases in service contracts
“Our action plan isn’t just a list of promises – it’s a call for urgent change. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have left consumers vulnerable by failing to stand up to price-gouging companies or tackle the high costs of services. Labour is prepared to hold powerful corporations accountable and bring relief to consumers.
Labour has also expressed outrage over the runaway costs of major projects under government watch, such as the excessive spending on the National Children’s Hospital and the Oireachtas bike shelter. Cllr. Timmons emphasised the frustration in Local Area Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas , where people see wasted public funds on these projects while essential services remain underfunded. “These funds should be allocated to vital services that truly benefit the people. Instead, we get Government mismanagement. Every euro lost to mismanaged projects is a euro not spent on schools, healthcare, or roads that are crying out for attention in Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas .”
“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil may claim they’re acting responsibly with the public’s money, but those claims don’t hold up to scrutiny. Labour’s action plan is about taking immediate, meaningful steps to protect consumers and address Ireland’s soaring costs. It’s time to trim the fat, reign in mismanaged spending, and protect the interests of the people of Clondalkin, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas and beyond.”
ENDS
Link to the full Cost of Living document: https://labour.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Labour-Cost-of-Living-Manifesto-2024-1.pdf
