Social Democrats push for emergency energy subsidy
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An emergency subsidy to help with the cost of spiralling energy bills is being demanded by the Social Democrats along with a €15 increase to the fuel allowance payment.
The Social Democrats party has laid out a number of measures that it wants the Government to introduce as part of a cost-of-living package in the Budget.
Speaking at the party's pre-term think-in, co-leader Róisín Shortall said: “What we’re talking about is an energy crisis subsidy scheme - an ECSS - which would support workers in a graduated way but would also then have an element which would support businesses.
"So it’s that kind of intervention we’re talking about, which gets money to people and to businesses as quickly as possible and in an efficient way. And that model is there from Covid-19 and we think we should use that.
She added: “We’re in a situation where the energy market is broken, and there needs to be a very significant and deep intervention by government. That is about protecting families, and protecting businesses and jobs. Speed is of the essence.”
Ms Shortall said that businesses that are now facing significant electricity and fuel bills must be supported, saying: “The priority has to be to protect jobs to save as many jobs and businesses as possible.”
Separately, fellow co-leader Catherine Murphy has left open the door to doing a deal to go into power with Sinn Féin after the next election.
“We are ambitious to actually deliver on some of the things that we’re working on and talking about, and we certainly are interested in being in a government that will deliver on those," she said.
She added: “We have been highly critical of the approach that particularly Fine Gael has taken over a long period of time. So we have to see a complete change in direction. We want to see that it is not just change for the sake of change. It’s the kind of change that will matter to us. That will really deliver on what we see as a social democratic approach."
Ms Murphy said that it is the intention to have both co-leaders still in place to lead the party into the next election. She said having two leaders, however, is "not something that is set in stone" and could be changed, but at the moment it works.