IT’S HARD TO know whether rising prices are going to be a feature of the Irish economy for weeks, months or — as Tánaiste Leo Varadkar suggested this week — years, potentially.

But to some extent, that’s an academic discussion. The fact is that we are all, at the moment, feeling the current wave of pandemic-linked inflation in our pockets and noticing it in our monthly bills.

Irish household electricity prices are mostly to blame for the higher-than-expected headline inflation figures we’ve seen in recent months.

Petrol, diesel and home heating oil prices have also been turbo-charged by a strong global rebound in demand for crude oil as economies continue the process of unwinding Covid-19 restrictions.

Meanwhile, some 37% of people surveyed by Red C on behalf of the Society of St Vincent De Paul last month said they were already cutting back on essential heating and electricity spending.

Almost half of the unemployed people and single parents polled said they had cut back on essential heating and electricity. 

To cushion the impact of these situational drivers of inflation, the Government will today announce a package of measures aimed at protecting low and middle-income households.

An extension of the fuel allowance and an increase to the €100 energy credit announced before Christmas are both on the cards.

But with Irish rents, house prices and childcare costs all well above the European Union average, it’s clear there are longer-term factors working to push up the cost of living in Ireland.

Are you facing any of these challenges at the moment? If so, we want to hear from you.

Reach out and let us know your story if you have thoughts about or experience of the following:

• Rising household costs — like home heating and electricity — and having to cut back or make choices to save money in recent months
• The Government’s package of measures and whether you think it will be enough to help you get by
• Your wages and whether you’ve asked or plan to ask for an increase in order to cover your bills
• If you’re unemployed or on other forms of social welfare or fixed income like the State pension, the extent to which you feel protected by the social safety net at the moment
• The Government’s longer-term strategies to bring down the cost of housing and childcare.

We’ll share the stories in a future article. Please include your name, your age and the county you live in an email along with your story.

Please tell us if you wish to remain anonymous or use your first name only in the piece.

To share your story, please send 250-300 words (or more if you like) to ian@thejournal.ie with the subject line ‘Cost of Living’.