Irish Social groups condemn Budget of Misery

Social groups are today digesting the details of Budget 2011.
Barnardos says there is despair in many Irish households as a result of the cuts in child benefit.

The Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed says Ireland is a much colder place for those out of work.

Respond, the housing association, says cuts to social welfare and child benefit will inflict further hardship on families.

The Civil Public and Services Union, which represents lower-paid civil servants, said that the Budget fails the test of fairness, while the ICTU said that it is "utterly lacking in any sense of the common good”.

Frances Byrne from OPEN, the national network of one parent families, says the Budget is devastating.

"It makes a huge lie of protecting the vulnerable," said Byrne.

International medias reaction to Irish Budget coloured by Irish Medias censorship

International Media Articles about yesterdays budget have been widely regarded as pro government, and blamed upon a conservative national media in Ireland which is actively censoring the news.

One Irish ex pat in New York blog, "Ireland is like Burma now....you only hear what the government there wants you to hear..."

Some 1,800 articles relating to the package appeared in more than 800 publications in 41 countries in the past 24 hours. The vast majority quoted the Fianna Fail line that the budget was necessary and that stability would now be restored to the markets.

Several Left wing parties, including Sinn Féin and the United Left Alliance have criticised RTEs post budget coverage, claiming it to be pro government and anti left.