THE TAOISEACH HAS said cost of living measures can’t be “chased month to month”.
Speaking to Newstalk’s ‘On The Record’, Micheál Martin added that he doesn’t “see things taking effect as the Summer Economic Statement is being announced”.
The Summer Economic Statement, which is published each July, sets out how much money the government has to spend in the next Budget.
The Taoiseach told ‘On The Record’ that the upcoming statement will “set the scene in terms of identifying the likely resources we are to have available to spend on alleviating pressure”.
It comes amid a warning from the Taoiseach of “significant pressures” during the winter “from an energy perspective and a cost of living perspective” due to the war in Ukraine and Russia’s decision to drastically cut its gas supply to Germany.
However, rather than introducing “packages one month and then the next month”, the Taoiseach called for “more sustained and comprehensive measures that will be sustainable”.
The Taoiseach’s comments follow large protests which took place in six towns and cities across Ireland yesterday, organised by the Cost of Living Coalition.
Speaking at yesterday’s protest in Dublin, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett told the crowd that “our critical message is to say we are not waiting until the budget, we want action now”.
While Micheál Martin told Newstalk he is “very conscious of the acute pressures on people”, he added that Budget 2023 will be a “cost of living budget” and “we have to do it in a way that’s sustainable because we simply cannot have a package month to month”.
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