Noonan told to maintain €3.1bn cuts

Finance Minister Michael Noonan will be told by his party’s TDs not to “take the foot off the pedal” by giving in to Labour demands for a budget adjustment smaller than €3.1 billion planned.

As Fine Gael gathers for its annual think-in today, backbenchers plan to raise concerns that the party’s ministers in Cabinet are softening their position on the scale of cuts and tax hikes to be announced next month.

Senior party members appeared at odds over the figure yesterday, with Transport Minister Leo Varadkar saying there was “too much focus on the €3.1bn figure” while hinting at a compromise of €2.7bn.