War of words over means test move

The Coalition will be destabilised if the Labour Party persists with attempts to means test farm and other capital assets for college grants, a Fine Gael backbencher has warned.

Waterford TD John Deasy threw down the marker after Labour backbenchers stepped up their drive for the measure, which they say would ensure the payments are made to those who need them most. He accused Labour of playing political games by pursuing a measure that wouldn’t affect them electorally because self-employed people and farmers were not among their voter base.

“Everyone is mystified as to why they are pushing this right now,” he said, adding that most of the Fine Gael parliamentary party were in agreement with him.

“I hope it isn’t some political game — the Labour Party upping the ante on something they know won’t be tolerated by Fine Gael, then eventually conceding and looking for something else,” he said.

“I think if the Labour Party persists in this, they will destabilise the coalition,” he told RTÉ’s Drivetime. “This is the kind of messing that is dangerous to a political relationship lasting.”

Labour Party junior minister Sean Sherlock said there was a “war of words going on” but it was important that politicians “moderate their language”.

Earlier, Labour TD Aodhan O’Riordan said the grant system was unfair because it is one of the only Government payments which does not take into account capital assets for eligibility assessment.

“If we’re spending €336m on supporting disadvantaged students going to third level, we have to target it at those who absolutely need it, who have very little resources, whose assets or income is very, very limited and who possible don’t have a tradition of going to third level at all,” the Dublin North Central TD said.

But Fine Gael’s Tom Barry said the average farm income was well below the average industrial wage. “The ability to pay is not there for many farmers,” said the Cork East TD.

As the tensions intensified between the coalition parties, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the reports were “exaggerated”. “The cabinet have not discussed anything about this. If and when the minister brings recommendations to the cabinet we will discuss them,” he said.