Taoiseach: Cuts won’t wipe boom era changes

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has told people his cuts programme will hurt but would not wipe out the positive changes of the Celtic Tiger years.

He said Ireland did not need to return to living standards experienced in the 1980s but would see levels settle where they were in the relatively recent past.

In his statement on the Government’s four-year plan Mr Cowen said Ireland had to overcome two big problems. It had to balance its books and pay for the debt which had blown up during the recession.