Taoiseach defends disability cuts and advisor salary

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has defended cuts to disability welfare payments while at the same time authorising a €35,000 pay hike for his former communications director.

Mr Kenny has come under fire in the Dáil for the cuts to new entrants on certain disability payments which the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said are "cold, calculating and callous".

Disability allowance has been slashed from €188 to €100 for 18 to 21-year-olds and from €188 to €144 for 22 to 24-year-olds.

Deputy Martin said the decision was an attack on the most vulnerable in society.

"No matter what language he uses, the Taoiseach cannot camouflage the fact that he is taking money from the pockets of those who can least afford it," he said.

"These are massive, calculating and callous cuts and should be reversed."

The Taoiseach said the cut will only affect new applicants, and people who currently get the increased allowance will continue to keep it.

He was also forced to explain why he authorised a breach of the Government's own pay guidelines when Ciaran Conlon was appointed as a special advisor to Minister Richard Bruton earlier this year.

The Taoiseach told Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams that the pay hike for Mr Conlon was considered worthy.

Mr Kenny said: "The person involved here has his Masters Degree in economics, has a long experience of dealing with the ways of politics - and was chosen by the Minister for Jobs and Enterprise for a specific purpose in getting people off the dole and providing opportunities for working careers.

"And you sir, before your election to this Dáil, Deputy Gerry Adams, claimed £106,880 sterling for his staff in a parliament which you never attended."