Kildare People Before Profit representative urges govt tp 'stop fiddling around on price hikes'
A Kildare representative for People Before Profit (PBP) has urged the government to "stop fiddling around on price hikes."
Paul Mahon of the PBP's Kildare branch said in a statement: "The government originally told us that the price hikes were ‘transitory’... then they announced a tiny subsidy of €100 for electricity consumers."
"The reality is, this govt is ideologically opposed to imposing regulation on market forces: it pretends that ‘nothing can be done’ because there is a global rise in inflation.
"This is only an excuse to cover for their failure to intervene in the economy decisively," he added.
Mr Mahon continued: "Up and down the country struggling families are turning to other struggling friends and relatives for short term loans, turning to charities to help keep the heating on and turning to loan sharks when the unexpected expense lands.
"This govt is completely out of touch with the reality of life in rural Ireland."
He then went on to say that PBP has advocated three measures which he claims could cut the cost of living for working people:
"One: the govt should impose a maximum price order on energy. Under Section 61 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007, they can issue emergency orders in relation to the supply of electricity, gas, and home heating oil. Under Section 62 of the same act, they can fix maximum price orders."
"Two: they could direct the banks to reduce mortgage interest payments... Interest in Ireland is charged at more than double the average rate across the eurozone: the average interest on a mortgage taken out in October 2021 was 2.73 per cent whereas it was only 1.28 per cent across the Eurozone.
"Three: They could bring in real rent controls that contain a facility for reductions on rent."
However, he added that the govt will take none of these measures "because it opposes interference in the market".
"This is an ideology we can ill afford during this price crisis," he added.
In related news, Paul Mahon has said that the Oireachtas Social Protection Committee’s report on the pension age which
recommended keeping it top 66 is "a small step in the right direction", and also urged the Dail to reject an EU proposal to label gas and nuclear as a green energy.