Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said there is real anger that workers and families have not been given a break during the cost-of-living crisis.
This is now accepted by Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, Ms McDonald told the Dáil.
She said the Government had the resources to help people but left them high and dry in the last Budget.
“You didn’t just fail to help people, you made things worse,” she said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin responded saying that investment in public services increased in the Budget by more than 8%.
The Taoiseach said there has been an unprecedented increase in funding for housing and infrastructure.
“All of that helps workers, this is the strategic approach we took,” he said.
Mr Martin said the most important thing is that there are jobs in the economy and 57,000 were created last year.
“We made choices to target our resources at those most in need,” he said.
He said that the war in the Middle East had increased prices and that could not have been forecast.
Independent Ireland TD Richard O’Donoghue, meanwhile, called for a cap on the cost of fuel to be introduced in the next Budget and every Budget going forward.
Micheál Martin said resources were targeted at those most in need
Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, the Limerick County TD said this would create stability for everyone across the country.
“I have to put on the record now why the protests in this country happened. The protests happened on the taxation on the increase on the fuel,” he said.
“If you capped the price of fuel that you take your tax, very same as your income tax for every worker in this country if you cap the cost of fuel on which you take your tax on,” he said.
Mr O’Donoghue said if the fuel prices were capped at €1.70 for white diesel, the Government’s relief package would not have been put in place.
“If you cap it, it creates stability across the country and creates forecasting for 12 months,” he said.
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The Limerick County TD called for a cap on what the Government takes on taxes in every Budget going forward.
He said the same could be done for green diesel, kerosene and petrol.
Responding, the Taoiseach has said the “spin all along” has been that the Government has taken in more from VAT increases than they have actually given in terms of reductions.
“That’s not true,” Mr Martin said.
He said the Government’s measures have “de facto” significantly reduced the tax component of the price of fuel.
“We do not favour capping the price of diesel or petrol. We think specific fuel support packages for farmers and for contractors,” he told the chamber.
Bacik takes aim at Govt over childcare record
The Labour Party has accused the Government of failing children in care.
During Leaders’ Questions, leader Ivana Bacik pointed to the fact that one in five children live in poverty with nearly 5,500 homeless.
She told the Dáil said there would be a shortage of special educational school places in September.
Ms Bacik said the Children’s Rights Alliance has described the “haunting gaps” in the State’s response to children in need of care.
The Labour leader said she used to work as Guardian ad Litem, which she said brought her to some of the most distressing of situations imaginable.
Ms Bacik said it was extraordinary that Tusla could not provide placements for children with care orders.
She said it was welcome that 430 special education places had been made available, but pointed out the shortfall was 600.
Ivana Bacik said there would be a shortage of special educational school places in September
“Inclusion is officially the national policy of the state, but without adequate resourcing, it’s meaningless.”
She accused the Government of failing children in care, in poverty or with additional needs.
The Taoiseach said there was a child poverty unit in his own department.
He said that targeted measures were the right way of reducing consistent poverty.
In terms of the RTÉ Investigates documentary which will air tonight, he said the Government is taking that seriously, but “demand for services is increasing at a very rapid rate”.
The documentary reveals details from an internal report prepared for the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, showing forged references were provided for staff at unregulated children’s care homes.
In 2025, 106,000 referrals were received by Tusla, a 10% increase on previous years.
Mr Martin said the Government would continue to increase investment, but recruitment is not just about funding, but finding the right staff.
He said €650m extra had been approved for education and a significant amount would go towards special education.
Ms Bacik said the funding was not in doubt, rather how the Government is spending.
She said there was a lack of “forward planning” and criticised what she called a “bailout” of the Department of Education.