Kenny warns Ministers to stay silent on budget

CABINET MINISTERS have been warned for the second week in a row by Taoiseach Enda Kenny not to make public statements about the options for next year’s budget.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore also reminded Ministers at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting that it was unhelpful to speculate about the contents of the budget.

The remarks by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste were widely interpreted as a rebuke to Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton who had spoken about the option of increasing PRSI contributions.

Mr Burton pointed to the €1.5 billion gap between what was paid out of the social insurance fund and the revenue raised through PRSI contributions from workers and employers.

The Minister’s remarks were contained in a lengthy speech delivered at the Tom Johnson summer school on Sunday.

Although he was unaware of its contents in advance, Mr Gilmore later defended Ms Burton’s speech, saying she was entitled to discuss issues that came under her departmental remit.

But some Fine Gael TDs were angered by what they regarded as more indulgent treatment of a Labour Minister than their party colleague Leo Varadkar, who was rapped on the knuckles by the Tánaiste for commenting on budget options a week earlier.

One Fine Gael Minster criticised Ms Burton on Monday, claiming she was trying to avoid a spending cut of €600 million in her department by raising PRSI rates.

“It’s simply not credible to try and pass off a PRSI increase as a spending cut,” he said.

The repeated admonition by both Taoiseach and Tánaiste to their ministerial colleagues yesterday was an attempt to prevent a rift developing at Cabinet months before budget decisions have to be made.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach in the Dáil if he accepted Ms Burton’s speech was not idle speculation but was putting a core question to the Taoiseach and to Fine Gael that PRSI should be increased.

“I have no intention of being dragged into Deputy Martin’s little game,” the Taoiseach responded.