Minister says budget choices ‘based on whole of society’

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has said the government will make budgetary decisions based on the needs of the whole of society.
Brendan Howlin was speaking after the ESRI issued a report which recommends the Government stick to the planned 3.1 billion euro worth of cuts in the October budget.
That is despite calls for an easing of austerity by trade unions and employers.
Minister Howlin says the government will wait to see the final taxation and expenditure figures later this year before making budgetary decisions.
“We have to obviously make decisions in relation to the whole of society, we’ve taken a  huge amount already out of expenditure, we’ve increased taxation – so all these advices are taken into account” he said.
“But we want to ensure that – in the round – we have confidence again in our economy, that we have job promotion and job growth” he added.