Backbenchers say no (ish) to pension cuts.

Some Fianna Fail backbenchers today drew a tentative first line in the sand regarding cuts in the forthcoming budget – with a threat to pension drawing their ire.

Michael Kennedy (Dublin North) and  Chris Andrews (Dublin South East) are reported in the Sunday Independent today as saying that cuts to pensions could have disasterous consequences.

Their stance was a break in rank with the standard government TD pronouncement heard of late, typically expressed as ‘Nothing could be ruled out’,   With Michael Kennedy stating that “Any move to cut or hit the OAPs will cause chaos in the parliamentary party. I have been strong in my views that the pensioners must not be cut and that is still my view.”

While Chris Andrews is reported as saying “If there is any hit to the OAPs, then the Budget won’t pass. The pensioners and the farmers are the only people still talking to us. To cut them would cause carnage.”

So does this mean pensioners are safe in the Budget?

It had been thought that the budget would affect Pensioners by ask much as €9 a week.  With the Government only holding a majority of two, they cannot afford to have any government TD’s not support the Budget – a failure to back the Budget would surely lead to an Election.  And at this point in time, I don’t think their are any government TD’s wishing to be responsible for that.  I think we should take these pronouncements as an advance regretful notice.

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