Budget Cuts Tough But Necessary, Says Gilmore

It has been a warning that tough decisions will be made in the Irish Republic's December budget.

Tánaiste and Labour Party leader Eamon Gimore warned of the tough times ahead when The Labour Parliamentary Party met in Carlow to prepare for the new Dáil term.

Mr Gilmore reiterated the commitment of the Government to reducing the budget deficit next year in line with the EU-IMF programme.

In the opening address this afternoon the Tanaiste said that the government would "level with the people", while it will be difficult, we will just have to get on with it.

According to Mr Gilmore the government wants to cut spending, increase revenue and create a wider tax base. Something, which he believes, has to be done for the country and for the next generation.

He said: "The decisions that will be made will be outside the comfort zone but very necessary."

Social Welfare will be a main target of the budget reform. Mr Gilmore said that this will not be easy but it cannot remain as is, this is despite his previous commitment not to cut welfare in June.

Questioned on this Mr Gilmore said: "Sometimes these things are often misinterpreted. There is no doubt that social welfare expenditure has to come down. Joan Burton has already done a huge amount of work on addressing the area of welfare fraud and overclaiming."

The Tánaiste said that what he was doing at the time in June was repeating what was in the programme for government.

Mr Gilmore emphasised the unity of the government parties in facing the economic crisis and said that the government was committed to getting the deficit down.

The Labour Parliamentary Party is the largest parliamentary Labour Party ever, with 37 TDs, 12 Senators and three MEPs.

(LB/BMcC)