Cash-starved ministers eye public pocket

GOVERNMENT ministers will have to dip into the public’s pockets to meet their departments’ spending demands, to be announced today.

Rises in fees and charges for public services so-called 'stealth taxes' are expected to be the order of the day after Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy announces spending plans for next year this afternoon.

Pay increases in the public sector, from benchmarking and partnership agreements, will swallow up the majority of the anticipated