Estimates ‘inflicting hardship on poor’

THE Government has been accused of inflicting unnecessary hardship on the poorest sections of Irish society by cutting €58 million in social welfare benefits in the recently published Book of Estimates.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte claimed the move represented a major ideological shift within Fianna Fáil towards a more “petty and mean-spirited” philosophy.

Mr Rabbitte said the impact of the cuts would be “potentially devastating” on people who were dependent on social welfare payments, such as lone-parent families.