TDs to vote on cutting social welfare next week

TDS WILL vote on social welfare cuts next week in the days following Tuesday’s budget.

Party whips have been informed that the Social Welfare Bill will be taken on Wednesday and Thursday, the days after the budget is announced in the Dáil.

As budget day approaches, Fine Gael and the Labour Party will hold separate launches of their budgetary proposals today.

Independent TD Michael Lowry met Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan last night to discuss his and Kerry South deputy Jackie Healy-Rae’s expected support for the budget when it is voted on in the Dáil.

Mr Lowry met fellow Independent Mr Healy-Rae on Wednesday and said he was meeting Mr Lenihan on behalf of both of them.

Mr Lenihan has met most Government-supporting backbenchers in advance of the budget.

The Government’s prospects of getting the budget through the Dáil have improved since it emerged last week that Mr Lowry and Mr Healy-Rae are likely to support it.

With the backing of the two Independents, the Government has a potential 82 supporters, while the Opposition has a potential maximum of 80.

Mr Healy-Rae’s son, Michael Healy-Rae, last night again said his father would back the budgetary measures. “Our feeling on the budget is that nobody wants to see a budget of this severity being imposed on anybody, but at the end of the day a tough budget will have to be passed by this or a subsequent government,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin announced yesterday that its newly elected TD Pearse Doherty, who recently won the Donegal South West byelection, was the party’s new finance spokesman.

“I am proud to be part of the only party in the Dáil that is opposing the programme of cuts and that is putting forward a credible alternative that protects the vulnerable, invests in jobs and ensures that all, including the super rich, are taxed according to their ability to pay,” Mr Doherty said.

Mr Doherty took over from Louth deputy Arthur Morgan as the party’s finance spokesman.

Mr Morgan revealed recently he would not contest the next general election and shortly afterwards Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams announced he would run in Louth.

Progress towards the formation of a technical group involving the party’s five TDs and two Independent deputies is at an advanced stage, Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin confirmed.

“We’ve had an initial meeting. The Sinn Féin deputies, a representative number, have met with both the Independent deputies Finian McGrath and Maureen O’Sullivan.

“We’ve had what we have agreed to describe as a positive and constructive meeting and we’ve arranged to meet again in the coming week,” Mr Ó Caoláin said.

Mr McGrath and Ms O’Sullivan have both confirmed they are open to forming a technical group, which would have similar entitlements to political parties, with the right to participate in Leaders’ Questions and some private members’ business.

Significantly, it would mean that Sinn Féin’s current motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach could be brought to the floor of the House.

Mr Ó Caoláin also confirmed that Kathryn Reilly would contest the Cavan-Monaghan constituency along with him in the next election.

A Red C poll on the state of the political parties to be published in today’s Irish Sun newspaper put Fine Gael on 32 per cent, Labour on 24 per cent, Sinn Féin on 16 per cent, Fianna Fáil on 13 per cent, the Green Party on 3 per cent and Independents on 11 per cent.