The Kilkenny €600m to help cost of living

A windfall tax on energy companies would, the Government hopes, generate up to €600m in additional revenue to fund a new round of costof-living measures.

e Environment Minister, Eamon Ryan TD, told the Cabinet the tax his department was developing could net between €280m and €600m, and said he would soon publish legislation detailing the new scheme.

Minsiter Ryan’s intervention comes as new details of the costs associated with the key measures under discussion by Coalition ministers are disclosed.

Paying a double weekly welfare payment to all recipients including pensioners, carers, jobseekers and people with disabilities would cost €330m. However, a double monthly payment of the child bene t to all families would cost €200m, while another round of the €200 electricity credit

Coming up Roses...

The search for the 2023 International Rose of Tralee and Rose Escort of the Year has o icially begun, with Rose selections taking place across 32 centres nationally and worldwide.

Last year’s Rose of Tralee Rachel Du y and RTÉ presenter of the show, Daithí Ó Sé, are pictured o icially launching the search for the 2023 Rose. This year’s festival will take place from August 18 – 22. Ireland’s flagship family festival continues to grow in popularity with more than 100,000 enjoying all that iss on o er across the five-day event.

In the coming months, Rose of Tralee regional selections will take place in towns and cities across Ireland, and all over the world.

Full story, Page 6 would come to €400 million.

Speaking in the Dáil, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the new tax on energy companies would result in “hundreds of millions of euro” being generated.

“ at is money we did not factor into the Budget for this year. It is additional funds we can use to help defray the cost of living,” Mr Varadkar said.

However, one senior government source said the windfall tax could “substantially fund” a new round of measures, but warned the amount of revenue raised could also be at the lower end of the scale.

Meanwhile, the independent think tank Social Justice Ireland (SJI) said increasing social welfare rates should be prioritised by the Government over continuing the €200 energy bills credit scheme.

It said increasing social welfare by €8 a week “must be central to any additional Government supports to address the cost-of-living challenges”.

Finally, almost two-thirds of retail workers earn less than €23,452 a year according to a new report published. e Mandate Union research reveals just over 92% of its members are a ected by the cost-of-living crisis and their main issues are grocery and utility bills, rent, transport and childcare.

Comment: John Ellis, Page 16

Lidl to open new Kilkenny store

Lidl’s newly-built store on the Waterford Road in Kilkenny City will open on ursday, February 23. It will open its doors to customers from 8am on the day.

As part of major refurbishment works, the store has been signi cantly expanded. A number of residential dwellings are also expected to be constructed on the site.

86,000 children on waiting list

Up Up to 86,000 children are on waiting lists for disability services across the country, according to a new report on children’s disability services from the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Some children were waiting, on average, 19 months to be be seen.

Full story, Page 6

Tragedy funeral

e ashes of Wojcieck Panel (17) have been interred at Calvary Cemetery, Graiguenamanagh.

Teeneagers Christopher Stokes, John Keenan and Wojcieck Panek all died when the car they were in fell roof rst into inches of water at Menlo Pier in Galway killing John and Wojcieck instantly before claiming the life of Chris later that morning.