Taoiseach backs Labour as FF attacks

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has rushed to the defence of his Labour colleagues in Government against what he described as opportunistic attacks from Fianna Fáil over budget cuts.

Mr Kenny said the budget did not belong to any particular party in the Coalition but was about “fixing the mess left behind” by the previous administration.

He was responding to accusations from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin that he had tried to “hammer Labour Party backbenchers into submission” on cuts.