Gilmore: Government has no mandate for four-year Budget plan

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has today told the Taoiseach that the Government does not have the mandate to prepare a four-year Budget plan for Brussels next month.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore today agreed to cross-party talks on multi-billion euro spending cuts but insisted that a General Election was still needed.

In a distinctly cool response, Mr Gilmore said he would accept Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s invitation to the Opposition but stressed a four-year Budget road map was not credible without a fresh Government.