O'Connor: ESRI suggestions are 'absurd'
The president of the country's largest trade union is hitting out at the ESRI for urging the Government to make Budget savings of more than €3.6bn.
The Economic and Social Research Institute is recommending tax hikes and spending cuts of up to €4bn to reduce the deficit quicker.
However, SIPTU's Jack O'Connor has said an intensification of the austerity programme at this point would be the "single worst thing" the Government could do.
Mr O'Connor said: "I think it is an absolutely absurd idea which is contrary to the interests of everyone in Ireland.
If we were to list all the things that we could and should be doing, this is about the single worst thing that we could do in Ireland today."
