Cowen: Welfare cuts were not sneaky

SWEEPING welfare cutbacks for lone parents and the jobless were not unveiled in a “sneaky” way, the Taoiseach yesterday insisted.

As Government departments handed-in their proposals for the €3 billion worth of Budget cuts set to be announced in December,Brian Cowen defended the way concrete plans to tackle “dependency” culture in welfare had been handled.

The move came as Health Minister Mary Harney warned of major job losses across the HSE as part of budget cuts.