Cost of living protests staged across Ireland

Cost of living protests were staged in cities across Ireland over the weekend as the economic crisis in the country deepened.

Thousands who took to the streets in demonstrations held in Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo and the capital Dublin called for more government support in the face of soaring inflation that has reached its highest level in the country since the 1980s.

Inflation in Ireland rose to 8.3 percent last month, which is marginally higher than the European Union average of 8.1 percent, according to figures from the bloc's statistical office Eurostat.

The newly-formed Cost of Living Coalition, which includes trade unionists, student and pensioner organizations and opposition political parties, organized the marches.

A similar protest held in Belfast, across the border in the British province of Northern Ireland, demanded help for people struggling to meet household costs, and that the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, which are not currently in operation, should be restored.

A global surge in fuel prices is cited as the main cause of the economic crisis.

Euronews quoted protesters in Dublin as saying costs of food and rent are causing deep anger.

Phil Ni Sheaghdha from the Irish Nurses' Union said: "It's very difficult to retain nurses and midwives, particularly in large urban centers, where the cost of rent is taking well over 50 percent of their wages.

"And then we have a huge issue with recruiting nurses from non-EU countries who come here. They look at their salary, they make big life decisions and then they realize they are paying more than 50 percent of that in rent (and) in transport."

The protests came following comments made last week by Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins that condemned Ireland's housing challenges as a "great, great failure".

In a speech at the opening of a facility for homeless youth near Kildare, he said it was "not a crisis, but a disaster". The number of homeless in the country has seen a sharp rise in recent years.

The Irish Times reported that the government has resisted calls for further measures to tackle the situation, and that it rejects claims it has been slow to act. It says 2.5 billion euros has already been spent to alleviate cost pressures since last October.

Speaking at the Dublin protest, the Sinn Fein political party leader Mary Lou McDonald said: "People are suffering now; we need a response from government now; we need an emergency budget now."

Addressing the gathering in Cork, Mick Barry, of the Solidarity Party, said government action would depend "on how much pressure they feel from below from ordinary people".