Reform and equity - Fairness is a cornerstone of recovery

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny and his Government are enjoying the afterglow of two very successful international visits and the poll published yesterday, as the Government approaches 100 days in office, will do nothing to dent its confidence.

The Sunday Business Post/Red C poll suggests that, if an election was held today, Fine Gael might capture its holy grail and achieve an overall majority.

Despite the optimism animating Fine Gael this morning, it is impossible to pretend it can be sustained unless a lot more is done to ensure that every step taken to restore sanity to our finances treats all sectors equally. Further pain cannot be imposed on any single group in isolation, especially if that group is made up of some of society’s lowest-paid workers. It must be seen that new austerity measures are blind and are imposed impartially across society.