{"id":25025,"date":"2022-02-06T11:52:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-06T16:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=25025"},"modified":"2022-02-07T08:55:28","modified_gmt":"2022-02-07T13:55:28","slug":"government-to-announce-plans-to-tackle-soaring-cost-of-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=25025","title":{"rendered":"Government To Announce Plans To Tackle Soaring Cost Of Living"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Inflation rates have hit a 20-year-high, primarily driven by global increases in the costs of energy such as oil and gas (PA)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Government intends to announce new measures to tackle the soaring cost of living by the end of the week, the Taoiseach has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coalition party leaders are set to meet on Monday evening to discuss the proposals, but Miche\u00e1l Martin has ruled out increases to social welfare payments or a reduction in VAT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inflation rates have hit a 20-year-high, primarily driven by global increases in the costs of energy such as oil and gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin said the Government now believes price increases will be here in the medium term, after initially holding the view that these were short-term trends linked to the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople are now feeling the brunt of this inflationary cycle which people felt originally, the European Central Bank would have said it was a pandemic-centered inflationary cycle,\u201d the Taoiseach said on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOther schools of thought, other economists are saying maybe not, it could be more medium term. The Government is now saying this could be medium term.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cThere\u2019s a range of measures that we\u2019re going to examine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do want to look after people who are hardest hit by the increase in home heating, in terms of fuel, and in terms of the basic necessities of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd that people on low incomes in particular, that as best as we can, to target measures to help people who are suffering as a result of this increase in prices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the Government has ruled out a \u201cmini-budget\u201d that could see changes to social welfare rates and VAT, Mr Martin flagged transport, health and home heating as areas that could be targeted to ease the financial burden on the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Government has previously announced a \u20ac100 rebate for every household to tackle rising energy costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been calls for the figure to be increased, something Mr Martin said would be considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath, and Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys are to meet this week to discuss proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Taoiseach also said that an \u201ceconomic recovery meeting\u201d is to take place on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin told RT\u00c9\u2019s This Week: \u201cWe would hope by the end of this week, that within the week we\u2019d be in a position to announce those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe actual specific timelines for benefits to flow to people obviously depends on the mechanisms that we use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut what we want to do is to try and cushion people against the pressures that they\u2019re currently under, because of increases in inflation, which are global.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a specific time. It depends just on the actual specific measures that are introduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome might be once off, some may be more sustainable in terms of reducing charges for people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the Taoiseach has ruled out deferring increases to the carbon tax set to come into force in May, which will drive the costs of home heating up further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said: \u201cClimate change is a pressing reality. We have to try and avoid short termism in terms of climate change policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis week, the government will be announcing a very major retrofitting program, which ultimately will reduce the cost of household fuel bills by up to 500 a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe grants will be very extensive and those who can\u2019t afford, for example, in terms of social housing, the Government will directly be retrofitting those houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a major, major retrofitting program but the funding to enable us to do that comes from the carbon tax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is a redistribution of wealth too \u2013 to help those in terms of their weekly and yearly charges and costs of living. It\u2019s a good measure for reducing emissions as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t keep postponing and postponing measures that are necessary for climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n

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