Labour’s capitulation

The saddest aspect of the budget is Labour’s capitulation to Fine Gael’s far-right fiscal ideology — the poor must be punished.

Eamon Gilmore said the reductions in social welfare for the under-25s were a mere “adjustment”, while Joan Burton talked about a version of a “social contract” in which the failure to provide jobs was the fault of those who could not find them.

But the vilest, least noticed cut is deferring the payment of the full State pension to those with invalidity pensions who are approaching 65. It is so petty and mean it suggests a disdain for those least able to keep up.