Cost of Living
Even though there has been some improvement Ireland remains a high cost location for many goods and services. This is putting a severe burden on family budgets.
While most of the country is improving its price competitiveness, areas where the Government influences prices are going up instead of down.
This is counterproductive as it is reducing the living standards and purchasing power of households.
The main price increases in the past two years have been in health Insurance, motor tax, tobacco, third-Level education, electricity, transport related costs, postal services, licensed premises alcohol and off-license alcohol. Public transport costs have increased. Medical inflation is running at multiples of the wider economy.
Fianna Fáil will take the following actions to improve the cost of living:
Even though there has been some improvement Ireland remains a high cost location for many goods and services. This is putting a severe burden on family budgets.
While most of the country is improving its price competitiveness, areas where the Government influences prices are going up instead of down.
This is counterproductive as it is reducing the living standards and purchasing power of households.
The main price increases in the past two years have been in health Insurance, motor tax, tobacco, third-Level education, electricity, transport related costs, postal services, licensed premises alcohol and off-license alcohol. Public transport costs have increased. Medical inflation is running at multiples of the wider economy.
Fianna Fáil will take the following actions to improve the cost of living:
- Provide targeted subsidies for childcare costs to help working parents.
- Tackle public transport costs by increasing subsidies to CIE and Bus Eireann
- Reform the banking sector to reduce the cost of credit and bank charges
- Force medical insurance companies to tackle waste to decrease costs.
- Invest in infrastructure to reduce journey times for consumers and businesses.
- Require Government to act on recommendations of Competition Authority
- Increase the supply of social housing to take pressure off private rented sector.
- Force members of regulated professions to meet strict price transparency requirements including meaningful cost estimates to prospective customers.
- Increase energy efficiency grants for households.
- Require energy companies to improve price transparency and advise customers when a discount period has ended.
- Make it easier for businesses to operate efficiently by improving broadband quality.
