Government using economic crisis to ‘settle scores’

THE Government is using the economic crisis to “settle scores” by looking to shut down State agencies that have criticised it in the past, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has claimed.

Citing as an example the proposals to subsume the Combat Poverty Agency back into the Department of Social Affairs, he labelled the Government’s actions “deplorable”.

“The Government dithered all summer long as the economic situation deteriorated. In July, they gave us a package of cuts, when what was needed was a recovery package,” Mr Gilmore said.