Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has defended the Government’s actions on tackling the cost of living crisis but did not rule out additional financial help before the Budget.
It comes as a new report by the State’s economic think-tank, the ESRI, found how almost three in 10 of Irish households are in energy poverty.
Mr Varadkar said: “I think the report is very stark.
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“As it stands, we will do more.
“But that will come on Budget day in about three and a half months' time.
“I'm not ruling out doing things in the interim, but certainly at this stage, we're working towards another package of measures to help people with the cost of living and that will be Budget Day which is just over three months away.
“We accept that we need to take further action to help people with the cost of living and the budget is three and a bit months away.
“We're working towards that. Looking into different options, seeing what we might be able to introduce more quickly rather than waiting for January, February, March.
“See what we can do in October, in November, in December for Christmas in relation to the cost of living.”
He said the Government “wasn’t ruling out” introducing measures to help struggling families, such as the double welfare payment suggested by the ESRI, before the budget in October, but that a comprehensive set of measures would be rolled out at that point.
He added: “I don’t think anyone expected inflation to rise as high as it has, or as fast as it has.
“That’s why we’d have to keep monitoring this as a dynamic situation.
“And that’s why I’m not ruling out interim measures, but they’re certainly not planned.
“At the moment, the next set of interventions will happen in just over three months' time, on budget day.”
Mr Varadkar ruled out abolishing motor tax to help commuters who are facing increased fuel costs at the petrol pumps.
Mr Varadkar indicated further cuts to the cost of public transport and childcare costs in the Budget.
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