Councillor Helen Ogbu, Labour’s candidate in Galway West, has warned that working people are being pushed to the brink as the cost of living crisis deepens, saying the issue is coming up time and again while out knocking on doors across the city and county.
Cllr. Ogbu said Government must finally listen to PAYE workers and deliver meaningful supports.
“The message I am hearing loud and clear on the doors across Galway is that working people are under relentless pressure. Families are doing everything right, going out to work, paying their taxes, but still struggling to make ends meet.
“The cost of living crisis is not abstract, it is showing up in every conversation I am having with people across Galway.
“People will be looking for real commitments from Government, not more talk. The last Budget failed to deliver for PAYE workers. There was no indexing of income tax, and vital once-off supports like energy credits were taken away at exactly the wrong time,” she added.
Cllr Ogbu said that we are now facing into a worsening fuel crisis, with electricity and gas bills set to rise again, alongside ever increasing grocery prices and housing costs.
“People are being hit from every direction, while public services remain under pressure and underfunded.
“Labour has consistently warned that Government is prioritising those who shout the loudest, with hundreds of millions in supports and tax breaks going elsewhere, while PAYE workers are left behind to pick up the bill. That is not fair, and it is not sustainable.
“There is a clear need now for a comprehensive cost of living package. That must include targeted energy credits for households, particularly as Ireland continues to have some of the highest energy prices in Europe.
“We also need to see real progress on a right to remote work, alongside investment in more affordable and accessible public transport to ease the burden on workers.“At the same time, we need practical supports to help people reduce their energy costs. That means properly targeted SEAI grants and zero-interest loans so that households who cannot afford upfront costs can still retrofit their homes and install solar panels. A just transition must include everyone.
“If Government continues to ignore the reality facing working people, it sends a very clear message that unless you have the loudest voice, you will not be heard. That cannot continue. PAYE workers in Galway and across the country deserve better, and they deserve action now,” she concluded.
