ICTU warns cutbacks will damage society

GOVERNMENT attempts to implement cutbacks in line with European Commission demands will result in permanent damage to the fabric of society, ICTU leader David Begg told a conference of economists at the weekend.

In a keynote address to the TASC/Foundation for European Progressive Studies conference on “towards recovery” which concluded on Saturday in Croke Park.

Mr Begg said he did “not subscribe to the accepted orthodoxy the budget deficit must be reduced to 3% by 2014” as demanded by the European Commission.