Excluding social welfare cuts ‘is not an option’

SOCIAL welfare cuts in next month’s budget are looking more likely after the Taoiseach gave his clearest indication yet that the €21 billion welfare bill will not remain untouched.

Just a day after the Society of St Vincent de Paul said such cuts would be “immoral”, Brian Cowen told the Dáil that excluding cuts in what amounts to almost a third of the Government’s total spending “is not anoption”.

But he insisted his government did not lack compassion in making such decisions and pointed out that dole, pensions and other welfare payments rose significantly in the good times.

“The idea that 35% of the total current spend should remain immune from consideration does not take into account the scale of the challenge we face,” said Mr Cowen during Leaders’ Questions

“Are the deputies opposite suggesting that it will be possible to maintain all payments into next year regardless of the consequences?” he asked.

Mr Cowen was responding to questions from Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore who said the Government is targeting the poor instead of the super rich in what is expected to be one of the toughest ever budgets.

“When it comes to making a choice, the Taoiseach does not have a difficulty in stating that he will do what is needed in order to protect the interests of people who are very rich and that those who are poor will be obliged to face the consequences,” Mr Gilmore said.

Mr Cowen responded: “The idea that there is a monopoly of compassion on the opposite side of the House and that compassion does not exist on this side is not true.”

The so-called Bord Snip report last July recommended a 5% cut of all welfare payments in an effort to reach savings of €1.8bn. The Christmas welfare bonus, which amounts to a doubling of payments in December, has already been cancelled for this year.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said there has been “a serious return to emigration” for the first time since 1995.

Mr Kenny accused the Taoiseach of not doing enough to give “hope and confidence to young people to stay in this country”.

Mr Kenny said: “We have no wish to return to the experience of the 1950s or the 1980s when emigration was a release valve.

“Consider all the young professionals, such as physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and so forth, emerging from university.

“The taxpayer has paid for their training and high qualifications, but there is nofuture for them in the country in view of the increasing redundancy rates.”