Fine Gael Seanad social protection spokesperson, Senator Nicky McFadden, has condemned the Government for reducing social welfare payments to carers, widowers, people with disabilities, and the blind by about 4 per cent in 2011, which comes on top of a similar cut last year.
“Fine Gael is absolutely opposed to cutting payments to the most vulnerable, and presented a fairer way of doing things in our alternative Budget,” she said.
“Scandalously, the announcement...doesn’t appear to include any significant increase on fraud savings targets which means that the Budget represents an attack on people who cannot work, instead of an attack on social welfare fraudsters.
“It is welcome that the Government accepted our view on the old age pension but unthinkable that they failed to exempt these most vulnerable groups from further savage cuts.”
