Budget 2023 Must Tackle Cost of Living says Tipperary TD

Deputy Michael Lowry and the members of the Regional Group of Independent TDs held a meeting with Ministers Donohoe and McGrath on Wednesday when they put forward their Pre-Budget Submission and outlined a series of measures required to tackle the cost of living and to support families and businesses struggling to meet those costs.

With transport costs affecting every home in the country, the Regional  Group wants to see the current School Transport debacle addressed, students provided with free transport and the 20% reduction in fares applied to all public transport regardless of the provider.

The Regional Group is also seeking an increase in the Dental and Medical Expenses Tax Relief from 20% to 30%, to support the cost of illness and to assist families who have children and family members with disabilities and Mental Health needs. Many of these families are currently forced to seek Private care in order to access medical assessments, reports and treatments.

The Group is also seeking to address the financial challenges for families associated with the availability of affordable Childcare.

Housing costs for all families are at historic levels and the Regional Group is seeking innovative ways to ease this by bringing vacant housing back into use, assisting older people to downsize where they wish to do so, revise Council Housing Grants and support all families, regardless of income, to retrofit their homes.

Businesses have also witnessed a doubling and trebling of utility costs and practical measures need to be included in Budget 2023 to assist them, in addition to removing a range of administrative barriers which are effectively excluding SMEs from accessing support.

In relation to Agriculture, the Group highlights the need for investment that clearly reflects the significant climate challenge faced by the sector between now and 2030. Included in the Regional Group’s proposals is the establishment of a €50m agricultural emissions reduction fund to urgently focus on practical measures to reduce not just carbon but also ammonia on farms.

The Regional Group is also proposing measures to facilitate wireless broadband providers extending their coverage, so that more families have access to high-speed broadband pending the completion of the National Broadband Plan.

‘But it is not just on the cost side that movement is needed in Budget 2023’ they say. ‘Barriers also need to be removed within our Taxation code and Welfare System that stop people from taking up employment or taking on additional work. In all cases, our system must always make work pay.

‘It is imperative that Welfare rates are increased to the equivalent of the cost of living increases over the last year and all income thresholds for Supplementary Supports and housing must be reflective of the current economic situation, the Regional Group states.

Responding to the proposals Ministers Donohoe and McGrath outlined the scope of the flexibility they have for Budget 2023 and for additional measures over the winter period.

Both sides agreed to continue further bi-lateral engagement with line Ministers over the coming weeks in the run-up to Budget Day itself.