Micheál Martin has doubled down on his insistence that there will be no emergency budget or further cost of living measures brought in before the Budget in October.
The Taoiseach categorically ruled out any more relief for hard-pressed workers and households this summer when pressed by the Irish Mirror on the issue, despite Leo Varadkar repeatedly saying more assistance can’t be ruled out. He indicated that further pain in the pocket is on the way when he said: “the winter will be difficult, particularly in terms of energy.”
Mr Martin was speaking after his Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister, Leo Varadkar, took an opposite view, twice in the last week, saying that he could not 100% rule out more help for consumers. The Taoiseach dismissed this outright on his way into the EU Summit of leaders in Brussels on Thursday morning.
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He said: “We had a very good discussion last Monday evening and indeed prior to that with the Minister for Finance and the Minister. The optimal moment for us, not just to deal with the cost of living, and we will have to deal with the cost of living in terms of reducing pressures on people, but also doing it in a way that is in line with the ESRI report and other reports, in terms of targeted nature of this, but to do it also in combination with other factors, around pay, tax, is the Budget.
“And to do it in a comprehensive way that sustains right through the winter because the winter will be difficult, particularly on the energy front. We’ve got to think about this, do a lot of work on this to make sure the measures we take don’t add fuel to the fire, but rather takes pressure off those most in need, but also creates space so that we can dovetail those measures with more longstanding measures around climate for example, around a whole range of other issues like childcare.
“We can create a sustainable pathway, using the resources and the funding that gives us a longer shorter to medium term impact on things like childcare, education and healthcare and public transport.
“Those are the type of areas where we have to dig deeper, take advice, take the evidence base and do what I think in the context of the Budget.”
When pressed by the Irish Mirror specifically if this means there will definitely be no moves before the Budget, the Taoiseach responded: “we don’t see that happening, no.”
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