Creighton: Govt TDs need to 'calm down'

The European Minister Lucinda Creighton has defended her comments in a newspaper interview in which she said Government backbenchers need to calm down.

Minister Creighton had said that it is not credible for TDs to "whinge" about budget figures that were agreed last December.

It comes amid reports of a split in the Coalition over budget cutbacks, including the €130m cuts announced in the health service last week.

Speaking on her way into Government Buildings this morning, Minister Creighton said the most important thing right now is to turn the economy around.

Ms Creighton said: "Both Fine Gael and Labour TDs need to just calm down a little bit.

"I think that we have a very clear mandate from the electorate arising from the elections last year.

"TDs from both Fine Gael and the Labour Party were elected for Government to implement reforms and to get the economy back on track. That is the only thing that matters."

Earlier, the The Taoiseach dismissed suggestions of tensions between the Coalition parties over budget cuts.

Some Labour ministers and backbenchers are unhappy with the cutbacks, and the Labour chairman Colm Keaveney has said it would be wrong for his party not to prepare for an election.

However, speaking on his way into Government Buildings today, Enda Kenny said ministers are "back to business".