ESRI’s independence - Red herring outburst helps no one

THE most powerful trade unionist in the country made an accusation yesterday that, if it is true, means that we are living in a State where Big Brother has assumed total control.

It means that an institution we rely on for economic and social guidance, as well as inquiry, is no more than a branch of the Government press office. We may be in dire straits but none of us imagined things had gone that far. Indeed most of us will find the accusation very hard to accept. The accusation is irresponsible, divisive and inflammatory. It is just the kind of tosh someone with a bankrupt argument uses to muddy the waters.

SIPTU leader Jack O’Connor — who represents about 70,000 public sector workers and another 130,000 private sector workers — accused the Economic and Social Research Institute of trying to protect the rich from the burden of budget cuts. Fianna Fáil may have neutralised the Greens but it is inconceivable that they have abused the ESRI to a similar degree. Mr O’Connor’s outburst came in response to an ESRI suggestion that child benefit should be cut by a fifth.