"During the General Election of 2020, people voted for change, and that desire for change was only strengthened during the pandemic."
Sinn Féin has hit out at the Government for what they have called a "con job" Budget, labelling the current administration as "out of touch".
TD Pearse Doherty said that the pandemic exposed weaknesses in society and strongly criticised the carbon tax increase announced for
the 2022 Budget.
"The pandemic exposed weaknesses in our society, in our public services and in our economy," Doherty said in Dáil Éireann on Tuesday.
"During the General Election of 2020, people voted for change, and that desire for change was only strengthened during the pandemic.
"It is through budgets that governments pave the way for change or consolidate the status quo, that is the measure against which we will assess this budget."
Doherty added that workers and families have been dealing with the rising cost of living, unaffordable childcare costs, and "rip-off rents" as well as the cost of basic goods and services "remaining stubbornly high" for "some time".
"We know that this is going to hit poorer households hardest, so given this prospect what does the government do? The government decides in its wisdom to increase electricity prices further – that is simply wrong," he continued.
Doherty added that the increase in electricity costs and petrol charges would just add "additional financial pressure" for "already struggling households".
"It is a con job, that is what it is, and that is the reality," he said.
"It is a con job – it is about penalising and not incentivising."
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin’s Mairéad Farrell said that the government has helped to create "new situations" that put people at risk of homelessness.
"Somehow, you've managed to push house prices back to 2007 levels and out of the reach of many," she said.
"The highest rents in Europe, you have also presided over the biggest increase in homelessness in the history of this state."
