GOVERNMENT TDs have called on the Minister for Social Affairs to abandon a proposal to scrap the Combat Poverty Agency as a cost-cutting measure.

COMMUNITY Action Network (CAN) regrets there was no opportunity within the recent review of the Combat Poverty Agency for stakeholders to put on record the importance of the role it plays in tackling poverty in Ireland.

A FULL 41 days since he last took Leaders’ Questions, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern seemed to be having difficulty concentrating on the opposition’s questions yesterday.

GOVERNMENT spending came under renewed attack yesterday after it emerged that last year’s taxi bill for the Taoiseach’s office came to almost €100,000.