Real budget winners

DAVID Lawlor (Letters, Dec 7) takes me up on my comment that the Irish public sector are “the most cosseted in Europe”.

He cites the IPA report that states we are “average” in terms of “size and pay ” compared to other European states. Again, we are in the smoke and mirrors world of statistics. To what does size refer? Let us get real. We are in fiscal quagmire where we are forced to choose between cuts for the disabled or a freezing of public sector increments. We know who won out on budget day. One thing is clear — this Government has as much moral cowardice as its predecessor.

Margaret Hickey