Taoiseach ‘not seeking confrontation’

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen insisted he does not seek confrontation with anyone in making difficult budget decisions which he hopes will be reached “with the greatest measure of agreement beforehand”.

Just a month ahead of what’s being flagged as the harshest budget in history, Mr Cowen made an assertion that anyone who claims he does things his way, rather than through agreement, does not know him. “The best way forward is an agreed way forward,” the Taoiseach said before last night’s meeting between the Government and unions on how to achieve a €1.3 billion cut in the public sector pay bill.

Mr Cowen was responding to claims by Labour Party leader, Eamon Gilmore, that the Government prefers “having people rip each other apart” rather than “getting people to pull together”.