Vulnerable to 'suffer more' - Noonan

Vulnerable people will suffer more than wealthy people as a result of the budget, Fine Gael spokesman on finance Michael Noonan said this evening.

Speaking to reporters outside Leinster House, he said Fine Gael found the budget "very predictable" because the gross figures were outlined in the four-year plan with details in the memo of understanding under the EU-IMF joint programme for Ireland. He said the budget was "seriously leaked as well, as all modern budgets are".

Mr Noonan said Fine Gael was disappointed that the budget contained no direct jobs and growth plan. He had expected that a series of initiatives would have been brought in. It was not possible to cut and tax the way out of recession, he said. "You've to grow your way out of recession."

He also said he was disappointed at the measures on social welfare, saying budgets must be fair and vulnerable people must be protected. "By and large it seems vulnerable people get hit more than wealthy people."

Mr Noonan said Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan had obviously responded to the demands of Fianna Fáil backbenchers not to cut the old-age pension. He thought the same attitude should have applied to other groups of people.

He said Mr Lenihan's speech was "silent" on a number of important issues, and when challenged, "he referred to the appendix".