Brennan set to reverse or modify many of the 'savage 16' cuts

Welfare: The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mr Brennan, is set to reverse or modify many of the so-called "savage 16" cutbacks introduced last year by his predecessor, Ms Mary Coughlan.

Mr Brennan announced last night that his Department would spend at least €11.42 billion next year. He is believed to be looking for between €800 million and €1 billion more in funding on Budget Day. Negotiations on this package with the Department of Finance are continuing.

Speaking last night, Mr Brennan said that there would be changes - some of them radical - to the controversial cutbacks introduced 12 months ago. He signalled that one of the changes, to be announced after the Budget, would involve the highly-controversial decision to restrict payment of rent supplement to people who had been renting in the private sector for six months.

Mr Brennan said last night that he was unhappy with the arbitrary nature of the six-month rental requirement.

While the hardship involved might have been more perceived than real, he was aware of a number of cases where people did not get rent supplement and did find it difficult to get accommodation.

"It may not have caused hardship, but it did put pressure on people that they could have done without", the Minister said.

Another of the "savage 16" cutbacks expected to be reviewed is the ruling that a person risked losing rent supplement benefits if they turned down more than one offer of housing from a local authority.

Mr Brennan said that there would be no cutbacks, "hidden or otherwise", in the social welfare area next year. Where spending might appear to be lower, this was because fewer people were seeking benefit.

Overall funding in the Department of Social and Family Affairs estimate for next year increased by just 1 per cent. However, the Minister indicated that there would be much more to come in the Budget.

He said that the Programme for Government and the Sustaining Progress agreement contained commitments valued at around €2.5 billion to be implemented over a three-year period.

Mr Brennan indicated that he wanted to see increases in the number of people availing of the carer's allowance as well as improvements in the area of respite grants for families looking after people with disabilities.

Prof John Monaghan, of the St Vincent de Paul Society, said last night that the organisation was "not frightened" by some of the negative numbers in the estimates. However, its bottom line was that it expected significant increases in social welfare payments in the Budget.

Father Seán Healy, of CORI, said that his organisation would be looking for increases of €14 for a single person and €24 for a couple in basic social welfare payments in the Budget.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State, Mr Noel Ahern, last night announced that there would be an 18 per cent increase in spending on anti-drug programmes next year. This would provide funding for 10 regional drug task forces in addition to existing urban-based services.