Top Fine Gael politician Regina Doherty has said she would like to see some more cost of living relief for workers “sooner rather than later.”
This places her at odds with her party leader and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, who said again today that there will be no more relief until the Budget in October.
Ms Doherty is currently Fine Gael’s leader in the Seanad and is a former ministerial colleague of Mr Varadkar in the last Dáil.
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She was launching a range of cost of living saving measures that she is bringing to the Seanad in a Private Members’ Bill (PMB) from the group of Fine Gael senators in the Seanad this week.
Speaking to reporters launching the Bill, she said: “I think the conversation needs to be had over the next couple of weeks.
“Ideally obviously, if the rate of inflation continues to increase as it has been, it’s the highest we’ve seen in 40 years, we would like to see measures introduced sooner rather than later.”
Later in the afternoon, Mr Varadkar told the Irish Mirror that the Government will be backing the motion in the Seanad, but there are no plans for extra help for consumers until the Budget.
The Government backing the Bill does not mean anything as it is a PMB in the Seanad which the Government is not compelled to act on.
Meanwhile, People Before Profit/Solidarity were on the Plinth of Leinster House to reveal more details of the new Cost of Living Coalition campaign group.
The campaign will see its first national march in Dublin this Saturday.
This will be supported by another five satellite protests in other towns and cities around the country.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett issued a warning to Government that “people power” had “brought the Government to its knees” with the water charges protests in the past.
Mr Boyd Barrett believes there is the same “momentum” behind this protest that could produce similar results.
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