Leo Varadkar

MORE families are turning to charities for financial help due to the cost of living crisis than any year since the financial crash, it has been claime.

We just don’t have the resources to do so but there isn’t going to be a cliff edge. She called on the Government to give families certainty on the future of cost of living supports that are due to run out at the end of next month. [European Central Bank](https://www.thesun.ie/topic/european-central-bank/)’s plan to increase borrowing rates yet again next week will compound the problem and put thousands of tracker [mortgage](https://www.thesun.ie/topic/mortgages/) homeowners under further pressure. [Mary Lou McDonald](https://www.thesun.ie/who/mary-lou-mcdonald/) told the [Dail](https://www.thesun.ie/where/dail-eireann/) on Wednesday that charities are receiving record numbers of calls for help from families who are coming under severe financial pressures due to the cost of living crisis. “People continue to make hard decisions just to make it to the end of the week. [Taoiseach Leo Varadkar](https://www.thesun.ie/who/leo-varadkar/) confessed that some of the current [cost of living](https://www.thesun.ie/topic/cost-of-living/) supports for households will end after February as he says Ireland does not have enough money to keep them all going.

The Fine Gael leader explained that the government cannot continue to finance current cost of living measures as they don't have the budget when they end ...

[rsvplive.ie](https://www.rsvplive.ie/) [Social welfare Ireland: People urged to apply for €924 scheme as applications open](https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/irish-news/social-welfare-ireland-people-urged-29032098) [Social welfare Ireland: Major warning issued as payment dates change ahead of Bank Holiday](https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/irish-news/social-welfare-ireland-major-warning-29011878) [Social welfare Ireland: People may be eligible for €462 payment paid this month](https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/irish-news/social-welfare-ireland-people-eligible-28996816) [Cost of living Ireland: I tried food subscription meals a](https://www.rsvplive.ie/life/cost-living-ireland-tried-food-28986674) [nd it was cheaper than shopping](https://www.rsvplive.ie/life/cost-living-ireland-tried-food-28986674) “People continue to make hard decisions just to make it to the end of the week. [Mary Lou McDonald](https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/celebs/mary-lou-mcdonald-says-shes-28964403) told the Dáil that the cost-of-living crisis “hasn’t gone away” as more people turn to charities for financial aid. [Mr Varadkar](https://www.rsvplive.ie/all-about/leo-varadkar) did not clarify which cost of living measures would be discontinued, after requests were made by the Opposition. [cost of living](https://www.rsvplive.ie/all-about/cost-of-living) measures that were introduced to support Irish households last year, he shared that there are not enough resources for them. He explained that the government doesn’t have the funds to continue all of them.

The energy credit for households, a reduced 9% Vat rate on electricity and gas, reduction in excise duty on petrol and fuel are some of the cost-of-living ...

He said the State hoped to exceed its target of 29,000 homes this year and hit back at Ms Murphy, saying she did not acknowledge that 6,500 social homes are still the highest number of new social homes in Ireland for a long time. He was responding to co-leader of the Social Democrats Catherine Murphy, who told the Dáil the target for delivery of new-build social homes last year was 9,000, before it was “reduced quietly” to 8,000. The Taoiseach said the Government would exceed its target last year, which was to build 25,000 homes and said he believed data would show there were 28,000 provided. Mr Varadkar said there were a number of measures the Government introduced to help households in the budget that will not expire, including reducing the cost of childcare for families by 25%. However, he said there would not be a “cliff-edge” and said relevant ministers would meet in the coming weeks to decide what measures would be extended. The energy credit for households, a reduced 9% Vat rate on electricity and gas, reduction in excise duty on petrol and fuel are some of the cost-of-living measures introduced by the Government last year that are due to end at the end of February.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has admitted the Government missed its target for building new social homes last year.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said some Government supports will expire at the end of February but there will not be a "cliff edge" He said some Government supports will expire at the end of February, but there will not be a "cliff edge". Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has admitted the Government missed its target for building new social homes last year, but told the Dáil that 6,500 new social homes were provided and that is possibly the highest number ever provided in the State

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said it has not been possible to find another year on record where more social homes were built than had been in 2022, ...

“You might not know this, Deputy, but 16,000 people/couples/families bought their first home last year – that was the highest in 16 years. We need more public housing and we need more private housing,” he said. “In relation to the social housing target, you’re correct. “That implies that we should maybe have the same number of houses, but have more that are public and less that are private. “What you should have acknowledged in your question is that that was still the highest number of new social homes provided in Ireland for a very long time. “I know people talk nostalgically about the 1920s when the Free State built a lot of social housing, the ’40s, the ’50s, the ’70s, the ’80s.

Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien has said that he wants to blow housing targets “out of the water”.

The system needs to be updated.” The plan is to bring about “a major transformation” to provide a planning system for a modern Ireland. The targets that have been set up to 2030 were baseline targets, he said.