Burton puts the boot into the poor. Again.

[Baron von Biffo]

The minister for lifestyle choices, Joan Burton is on News at One trying to justify slashing Exceptional needs payments to families on SW.

Seems the Troika made her do it.

[Saoirse go Deo]

The payments would be for items such as special clothing in the case of a person who has a serious illness, bedding or cooking utensils for someone setting up a home for the first time, costs in relation to funerals, visiting relatives in hospital or prison etc.

Larkin and Connolly would be proud.

[disability student]

The minister for lifestyle choices, Joan Burton is on News at One trying to justify slashing Exceptional needs payments to families on SW.

Seems the Troika made her do it.

Are you FG /Govt supporter?:

[Baron von Biffo]

Are you FG /Govt supporter?:

Bit early in the day to be on the sauce.

[disability student]

Bit early in the day to be on the sauce.

Ha i take it as FG/Govt supporter as i recall you supported the Judiciary/establishment re referendum/s. That's good enough for me.

[antiestablishmentarian]

Ladies please, it's a bit early to be engaging in handbags. The Baron has shown no indication in any of his posts that he's a supporter of FG/Lab (as evidenced in many of his posts about 'Gump' and 'Blue Labour') while I think DS was only having a bit of a joke in his first post on this thread.

[Baron von Biffo]

Ha i take it as FG/Govt supporter as i recall you supported the Judiciary/establishment re referendum/s. That's good enough for me.

This is why I'm sceptical about the multiverse theory. There couldn't possibly be a universe where that makes sense.

[Baron von Biffo]

Ladies please, it's a bit early to be engaging in handbags. The Baron has shown no indication in any of his posts that he's a supporter of FG/Lab (as evidenced in many of his posts about 'Gump' and 'Blue Labour') while I think DS was only having a bit of a joke in his first post on this thread.

I'm actually the ghosts of Michael Collins and Eoin O'Duffy inhabiting the body of Alan Shatter. But keep that under your hat.

[disability student]

Ladies please, it's a bit early to be engaging in handbags. The Baron has shown no indication in any of his posts that he's a supporter of FG/Lab (as evidenced in many of his posts about 'Gump' and 'Blue Labour') while I think DS was only having a bit of a joke in his first post on this thread.

Well re handbags- more like verbal sparring

[C. Flower]

The minister for lifestyle choices, Joan Burton is on News at One trying to justify slashing Exceptional needs payments to families on SW.

Seems the Troika made her do it.

Isn't that the payment that Rachel Peavoy was looking for for extra heating?

Time to tax the rich

[Baron von Biffo]

Isn't that the payment that Rachel Peavoy was looking for for extra heating?

Time to tax the rich

You wont find much sympathy for taxing the rich from Burton and her colleagues.

[Spectabilis]

The absurdity of trying to justify this decision.

It is simply one more heading in the budget that has to be cut to meet the imposed terms. End of story. It is farcical to justify it by saying the community welfare officers recommended it. I imagine every department, unit or section in the public service has been asked to identify 'possible savings' a la Bórd Snip and can therefore be described as 'recommending '.

Using the annual debate about the excesses of some Holy Communions as a justification is ridiculous. Are they taxing vulgarity now? We are none of us safe in that case. Will they cut the TV licence allowance to the OAPs because they are watching trash TV?

It is an insult to our intelligence to offer those justifications. Unfortunately there will be those who will buy the line, as we now have group of scapegoats apparently, among them the old, the public sector, migrants and welfare scroungers and the mob will turn on them all in turn and this division will deflect ire from the politicians.

[Baron von Biffo]

This story on DriveTime now.

[Baron von Biffo]

Predictable comments from listeners - My husband and I both work but we bought the communion dress for 25 cent and had tap water and grass afterwards.

And of course - 'Give them vouchers' got a few votes.

Maybe Burton could have a few thousand frocks run up (by interns). They could be stamped 'Property of the State' to stop them being stolen and sold for drink.

[jmcc]

If these "Labour" politicians were normal human beings, they would have nightmares about what James Connolly would do to them.

Regards...jmcc