Howlin introduces raft of savings in last Budget under the Troika

By Juno McEnroe, Political Reporter

Brendan Howlin has claimed that the Budget is the last under the Troika and is designed to minimise the hurt for households.

The Public Expenditure Minister initially announced future reforms of the public service, a €200m pot for services as well as an already announced €150m stimulus package for building projects.

But his Dáil speech included details of cuts to health and social protection.

He said that at end of 2010 the deficit was over 30% and that it would be reduced to 4.8% next year.

He said: "Since we took office in 2011, this Government has managed to reduce spending in a balanced, strategic and responsible way.

"This is in stark contrast to the previous government, who oversaw a litany of disastrous decisions that failed the Irish people," he added.

However, the Labour minister was the first to confirm a raft of serious cuts to medical card

holders, maternity benefit as well as the telephone allowance for the elderly and unemployed.

While the expected free GP care for the under 5s was announced at a cost of €37m, a raft of savings were also revealed.

These include €113m from a review of all medical cards to remove ineligible and redundant cards; €25m from a lowering of the income thresholds for the over 70s medical cards. This will be reduced to €900 per week for a couple and €500 for a single person.

Cuts to social protection amounted to €290m, he said.

The telephone allowance for the lesser-well off under the household benefit package will be completely abolished, saving €44m.

He said that the rate of maternity benefit would now be €230 per week for new claimants from January 2014 and this would save €30m.