Joan Burton crticises Cabinet sub-committee she is a member of

Labour Party leader Joan Burton has criticised a powerful cabinet sub-committee of which she herself is a member.

Deputy Burton said that she understands the reasons why the Economic Management Council - featuring the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and two finance ministers - was established.

Her criticism became less frequent when she joined the EMC, but she now says that the committee has outlived its purpose, because there is more to life than economics.

"One of the things, when you're focusing exclusively on economic decisions is that you need to have a very solid briefing in relation to the social consequences of any economic decisions, both in terms of the positive consequences, people going back to work, and the negative consequences, difficulties, for particular social sectors," she said.