First cost of living protest is planned
By Katie O'Keeffe
“On the back of the pandemic we now find ourselves in the cost of living crisis. At Penny Dinners, we call it the cost of survival crisis. We believe people just are not surviving.”
Those were the words Caitriona Twomey expressing her worry at a press conference on Monday to promote Cork's first cost of living protest which takes place this Saturday.
The protest, taking place at 2pm outside Brown Thomas, is being supported a broad range of groups, organisations and political representatives.
Caitriona Twomey explained: “All of our services are being impacted, whether it’s health, mental health, homelessness, rents, mortgages or hunger. It’s a famine of a different kind but nevertheless it's a famine.”
She added: “We would hope that the Government would feel how we feel – saddened, upset - and would find a way and a will to change things for the people who are suffering and the many more who will suffer.”
Former Debenhams employees in Cork will be showing their support this Saturday.
In April 2020 almost 1,000 worker lost their jobs when Debenhams closed its doors in the Republic of Ireland.
The ex-employees maintained a picket outside the former St Patrick Street store in the city for 407 days.
Carol Ann Bridgeman attended Monday’s protest launch on behalf of the ex-Debenhams employees and asked anyone who can to attend on Saturday.
She said: “We stood on a picket line for over 400 days. We know how hard it is to fight.
“If we don’t all come together and stand up for ourselves, we can’t imagine what way life will be for our children in the future.”
Carol Ann is also a mother and fulltime student and she told the conference how she is being personally affected by the cost of living.
She explained: “Last week I had to send in €155 with my children to pay for school tours and activities.
“I have little or no income as a student. The stress is unreal. I have to watch every single thing I spend money on.”
She added: “I have to say no to my children (when they want to do) activities because I just can’t afford it.
“It’s devastating as a parent. I have to rely on support from friends and family to facilitate childcare when I return to college in September. I don’t even know if I’ll return due to the outcome of my SUSI grant application. It’s a battle every day,” she concluded.
Don O’Leary of the Cork Life Centre thinks it is hugely important for people to show their support this weekend.
He expressed his concerns for young people: “If kids can’t be fed properly how are they going to do anything in school?”
Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould is asking the people of Cork to show their support: “People cannot wait until October for the budget, they need help now. We need all political parties to come together and sort this. There is so much more that can be done. This is not a political protest, this is a people protest at the end of the day. It is people who are suffering.”
Organiser of the press conference Solidarity TD Mick Barry is urging the Government to do more.
He said: “We have no idea how many people will come this Saturday, but we are confident that people will respond.”
While the press conference was underway, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin was tackled on the cost of living crisis in Cork on Monday morning where he said that the Government is fully aware of how difficult it is. He said the Government has already introduced measures and the budget will also bring targeted measures.
“We’ve increased the fuel allowance by close to €1,200. We introduced the energy rebate of €200 for all households, public transport fares are coming down, we want to target measures in the forthcoming budget to those who need it the most and we want to do it in a way that doesn’t stoke inflation further or rather reduces the cost of living pressure on people which is very, very real,” he said.