Austerity bites - Recession on brink of depression

It is all very well for the Taoiseach to declare — as he did on RTÉ radio yesterday — that next month’s budget will be the last of the “really tough ones”.

For those most affected by the Government’s austerity regime, it may be more than they can bear.

It will certainly not be good news for the poor, the old, the unemployed and the vulnerable. Whether the budget cut amounts to €3.1bn or €2.8bn may be immaterial to those who are already struggling to keep body and soul together.