Social welfare and pensions safe in budget, Burton claims
The Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, said she is confident that neither weekly social welfare rates nor the bus pass will be hit in the budget.
Joan Burton has yet to have a formal meeting with the Public Expenditure Minister to discuss cuts, which could be as much as €440m for her department.
She insisted, however, that she has a tight control on spending and hopes to be able to leave certain welfare rates alone.
"I would be confident that we’ll be able to maintain our commitment … to protect core weekly social welfare rates, particularly, obviously for people who are retired and are on the retirement pension," she said.
