Dr Sheila Garrity, who has knocked on hundreds of doors in the Galway West voting district, says one thing is clear from residents: the rising cost of living is unbearable, but the Government isn’t listening.
Garrity, an independent candidate in this month’s by-election, is once again calling on the government to take urgent action, including energy credits, to provide relief for struggling households.
“The cost of living, particularly the cost of energy, coupled with rising debt dominate discussions at the doorsteps from Galway City to Connemara to the east of the constituency,” said Garrity, an independent candidate in this month’s by-election. “Just because the sun is shining doesn’t mean these issues have gone away. People are far worse off than they were in 2022, when energy credits were last offered, and yet the government is failing to respond to the real need I am seeing at the doors.”
According to Garrity, these people feel left behind and voiceless, or as one resident put it, “we don’t have the trucks to block roads to be heard.”
“There is a real sense that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry independents are disconnected to the lived experiences of the people I am talking to,” said Garrity. “As of February, nearly 320,000 electricity customers were in arrears, with the average debt just under €500. That doesn’t include the nearly 10% of households using pre-payment electricity, who often go without electricity completely.”
She said targeting energy credits to households below a certain income margin, such as €75,000, would ensure that those who need support the most, receive it.
Garrity is also calling for significant reductions in public transport costs, supporting students, workers and others. Doubling the National Childcare Scheme subsidy would leave more money in the pockets of families and bring costs closer to the €200/month fee promised in the last election, she said. “A review of other state-implemented service charges, such as insurance levies, A&E charges, and, crucially, fees to sit upcoming state exams as a support to families, are all actions this government could take as short-term reliefs.”
In relation to last month’s protests, Garrity stated, “Fair play to the hauliers, farmers, fishers and construction-related employers who secured a package of supports in the face of rising energy prices that were crippling their industries. Those who are claiming a victory for these very specific industries seem to have forgotten the typical household that is still struggling in the face of continued inflation, cost of living rises, and mounting debts”.
If we do not support struggling households, she said, other areas of the economy will be impacted. According to the CSO’s research released this past week, 9 in 10 consumers are making cutbacks to other areas of spending, meaning this could impact retailers, service providers and other commercial areas.
