The Government has announced around €300,000,000 in new spending to combat the cost of living.
The one-off energy credit will now be €200, those in receipt of the fuel allowance are to get an extra payment of €125 and public transport fares are being cut by 20% until the end of this year.
There were also moves to make school transport cheaper, lower the contribution to the drug payment scheme and increase the working family payment.
The Government insists it had to make universal payments so that the relief’s could be made quickly.
The Social Democrats are among the critics claiming a lot of people will benefit who don’t need financial assistance while struggling families are not getting enough.
Meanwhile the Finance Minister is denying this morning that a cut to the Universal Social Charge would have been a better way to help people with higher livings costs.
Minister Paschal Donohue says that the abolition of, or a cut to the USC , would not be a wise move:
“At this point in time to be indicating that we can abolish Universal Social Charge, with where we are in particular with Covid, is not a claim that I believe you can make, let alone implement”
