This doesn’t help people cope with the rising cost of living in any meaningful or sustainable way.

Sure, a small financial boost may feel nice, but it’s hardly an effective solution for dealing with an average cost of living that has increased significantly in just three years.

If we voice our concerns, we’re often painted as outliers or malingerers.

After all, hasn’t the Government “generously” given us cash boosts?

Well, it seems clear that many of us are not satisfied with this “lot” handed down to us.

With the upcoming election, we have a chance to vote for the future we want.

In the global context, we are among the most privileged, yet in managing our cost of living and supporting the most vulnerable, we’ve been let down.

There’s a common misconception that those struggling with the cost of living are people on the breadline, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

When people commit to mortgages or rent, they dedicate a portion of their income to fixed payments, expecting that they’ll have enough to cover these costs long-term.

However, with unpredictable cost-of-living increases that income cannot meet, even families in affluent areas of Cork City can feel just as hard-pressed as individuals in rural areas. This affects everyone.

As we struggle to keep up with day-to-day expenses — whether for food, energy, fuel, transport, school costs, high interest rates, or rent — we have less disposable income.

This reduced spending sends ripples through society. There’s less money for hospitality, whether in restaurants or hotels.

There’s less to donate to charities, many of which are underfunded by the State as it is, and rely on donations.

Our tighter budgets lead to poor lifestyle choices, impacting our health.

Our health is our wealth, therefore, the new Government needs to address the crisis in hospital queues, waiting lists, overcrowded emergency departments, and delays for vital surgeries.

The longer people wait for treatment, the sicker they get, which ultimately leads to worse outcomes and more acute cases.

People in caring roles go unrecognised for the work they do at home, keeping individuals with disabilities out of already overstretched hospitals and care facilities.

People with disabilities lack the support they need to participate meaningfully in society.

Energy costs remain significantly higher than they were three years ago. We’ve all watched the recent American presidential election and nearby international conflicts with great concern.

This has made it clear that these high energy costs are here to stay, yet the exiting Government has failed to implement any meaningful supports for families who are feeling the squeeze.

Consider how the Government has supported the growth of data centres in Ireland.

These centres drain our energy infrastructure, and this burden will only increase for households in the future.

There’s even a national strategy for AI, suggesting that these centres should rely on sustainable energy sources such as wind.

But what about those of us who need energy for our homes?

Who is going to pay for the necessary infrastructure and energy security? Unless the next government takes control of this, the costs will fall on us in the form of taxes, not on the data centres profiting off our resources and land. And tell me, will AI cook my family dinner when the power’s out because of a grid overload? I don’t think so.

Then there’s climate change, another factor driving up the cost of living, particularly the cost of food.

Rising food prices cannot be blamed solely on fuel costs and global conflicts.

In fact, just before the war in Ukraine broke out, heavy rain in Spain had a knock-on effect on the cost of our fruits and vegetables in 2022 and beyond, as the cost of ambient items like tinned tomatoes rose as a consequence.

Look at the demise of Spain and Central Europe over the past fortnight, this without doubt will effect the cost of fruits and vegetables in Irish supermarkets this Winter and beyond.

Looking back over the past three years, I can tell you that where I once spent €100 on a weekly shop, I now need €140 — that’s an extra €40 each week just for basic food and groceries.

And where, exactly, is that money supposed to come from?

The reality of a cost of living crisis is that the rich get richer, shielded from the worst effects.

Those of us with less end up with even less over time. Social welfare and benefit schemes do not keep pace with inflation and they haven’t done so for years.

We have a chance to demand change on polling day.

But I wonder, when the votes are counted, will we just be getting a similar wolf dressed in different sheep’s clothing?