Breaking via The Mire wire: Leinster House goes wild photocopying arses, free GP care for healthy citizens, and FG TDs insult each other for Twitter practice.
An across-the-board cut to child benefit was not a good move – but ministers on big salaries are removed from the realities of the man on the street, Nessa Toale writes.
The Labour TD described the budget as a “conflict of ideologies” and said the issue was one of proportionality with Labour making up only one third of government.
The Budget is days away and though there has been fewer leaks than last year there’s plenty of speculation. This is what we can expect on Wednesday… definitely, maybe.
Fianna Fáil wants Social Protection Minister Joan Burton to honour a pre-election promise and say that child benefit will not be cut in the forthcoming budget.
A so-called “two tier” child benefit system, recommended by an advisory group to the Social Protection Minister, would see child benefit payments cut to about €100 per month.
INDEPENDENT TD MICK Wallace is to file a complaint about the Minister for Justice’s use of information on RTÉ’s Prime Time last week.
Alan Shatter said on live television that the Wexford deputy benefited from garda discretion when he was cautioned for using a mobile phone – but not given penalty points. Wallace insists he is not aware of such an incident.
Shatter has stood by his remarks and he has also been backed by the Taoiseach who said that “people can’t have it both ways”. “You cannot be saying no discretion and at the same time availing of discretion.”
Labour Deputy Kevin Humphreys told Newstalk Breakfast this morning that he thought making the remarks was “poor judgement” on the minister’s part. He called on Shatter to explain how he received the information. Others have claimed the information could have been made public in a different manner, and not on live television without giving Wallace prior warning.
In today’s poll, we ask: Should Alan Shatter have made his comments about Mick Wallace on Prime Time?
An a.m. shower or two; otherwise, cloudy
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Clouds and sun with a passing shower
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