‘Even the dead are not safe from Government’

The Coalition was accused of hitting the elderly as well as the young with cuts in an austerity budget that failed the basic test of fairness.

Ahead of expected protests today over its third budget, the Government faces accusations of leaving struggling households in despair and forcing thousands of young people onto the emigration path.

Fianna Fáil finance spokesman Michael McGrath argued that not even the dead were safe from cuts as part of the €1.6bn in Fine Gael and Labour saving measures.