Thomas Pringle TD

Pringle: Donegal people make their voices heard in protest

Pringle: Donegal people make their voices heard in protest

Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, said the thousands of people from Donegal and across the country who marched in Dublin on Saturday brought the message to Government: “Enough is enough.”

Deputy Pringle said: “There was a great turn-out from Donegal and from across the country for the Cost-of-Living Coalition march on Saturday. We have seen the impact of people power on Government before, and now the people of Ireland are demanding effective action on the cost-of-living crisis.

“It’s no wonder that people are frustrated and worried. Costs continue to spiral out of control, and we have already heard of households that are worried about having to choose between heating and eating.

“The cost-of-living crisis is affecting every aspect of Irish life and we can see signs of the crisis all around us. Homelessness in this country has risen by more than 30 per cent in the past year. Between April and July of this year, applications for the emergency social welfare payment jumped by more than 10,000. Those payments are for basic necessities – food and clothing, fuel and energy.

“Government will talk about how well the economy is working when we know we have food banks operating in Donegal and across the country. If families are relying on food banks, it should be clear that Government policies are not working.

“None of this should be acceptable, ever. However, this crisis is largely the result of Government policies, from decisions based on an ideology that says this is acceptable.

“We need a Government that represents all our people,” he said.