Excluding social welfare cuts ‘is not an option’

SOCIAL welfare cuts in next month’s budget are looking more likely after the Taoiseach gave his clearest indication yet that the €21 billion welfare bill will not remain untouched.

Just a day after the Society of St Vincent de Paul said such cuts would be “immoral”, Brian Cowen told the Dáil that excluding cuts in what amounts to almost a third of the Government’s total spending “is not anoption”.

But he insisted his government did not lack compassion in making such decisions and pointed out that dole, pensions and other welfare payments rose significantly in the good times.