Join The People Before Profit Contingent – Parnell Square, Dublin at 1pm
The government tell us that we are living in one of the most successful economies in the world. But it does not feel like that for many people. Instead, there is huge social suffering.
Many young people are considering emigrating because of the housing crisis. They must either live at home with their parents or spend nearly half their wages on rent. Very few can afford to buy a home, and the government is not providing social housing. It takes 12 years on average in Dublin to get a council house or flat.
Look at the cost of living crisis – it is not going away.
They tell us that energy prices are coming down but the truth is they are double what they were two years ago. Check out your local supermarket and you will be shocked at the price of groceries.
If you are a mortgage holder you could end up paying an extra €6,000 a year because of interest rate hikes.
The government says it can do nothing about all of this. ‘We must leave it to the market’ is their constant refrain. But a decent government that really cared for its people could take measures to solve the twin crises of housing and the cost of living.
- It could introduce proper rent controls and allow for rent reductions.
- It could cap mortgage repayments at 3% and make the banks take a cut on their profits.
- It could return the ESB to being a not-for-profit company and so reduce electricity prices.
- It has already has the legal power to impose emergency price controls on groceries.
The only way we will shake this government is by coming out on the streets in massive numbers to force them to act.
We did it on the water charges. We did it with Repeal. We did it with marriage equality.
Now is the time to get on the streets. We should not simply wait for an election which could be as late as 2025. The more we protest the more any new government will take the measures that are needed to solve these crises.
