Transport Minister Leo Varadkar yesterday dismissed reports that Social Protection Minister Joan Burton warned ministers the cuts would be controversial, and that she was being made a scapegoat.

Mr Varadkar said that “no proposal for social welfare cuts came from any Fine Gael minister. . . they either come from the Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin, who’s Labour, and the Social Welfare Minister, Joan Burton, who’s Labour“.

He also told RTE Radio that, of all the Budget measures, the disability cut “wasn’t thought through properly”.

Documents submitted as far back as September by Ms Burton to Mr Howlin as part of the comprehensive spending review, which gave options for Budget cuts, clearly identified the disability payments.

 

Disability Cut All Labour’s Idea, Says Varadkar (Fiach Kelly and Fionnan Sheahan, Irish Independent)

(Photocall Ireland)