Govt criticised over costs as 'red carpet rolled out'

Govt criticised over cost of living as 'red carpet rolled out for EU leaders'

Updated / Thursday, 12 Nov 2026 12:55

Getty

One in four householders cannot pay their gas bill at a time when the Government is "rolling out the red carpet for EU leaders", the Dáil has heard.

During Leaders' Questions, Sinn Féin's Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty sharply criticised the Coalition's response to the rising cost-of-living across a range of metrics but Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke branded his presentation as "economically illiterate".

"The Government will roll out the red carpet today for European leaders, staging a glossy showcase of Ireland as a modern, progressive and prosperous nation. But the people you govern are not living in that showcase", said Deputy Doherty.

"One in four homes across the State cannot pay their gas bill.....You will point to the Budget, but after months of warning by us in Sinn Féin, your answer still falls nowhere near the scale of the crisis. You refuse to deliver the €400 energy credit....you have refused to deliver the €500 everyday essentials card to help people with their shopping. And you continue to let energy companies rip off their customers while they rake in massive profits", said the Donegal TD.

Mr Burke rejected the Sinn Féin analysis.

"It's economically illiterate. It's not in the real world. Your answer is a shopping list. It's a cheque for every household. It's a cheque and a promise for every constituency but with no clear way on who pays and what the consequences are," he said.

He argued that the Coalition had moved to put money back into people's pockets at last month's Budget.

However, Deputy Doherty argued the Government had done nothing to reduce grocery bills and once again re-iterated his party's call for the removal of Carbon Tax on home heating oil.