McCreevy memo released in error by Foreign Affairs

A sensitive memo detailing Government spending cuts was was released to a Sunday newspaper "inadvertently" by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Following a Department of Finance internal inquiry, it was announced this evening that the confidential document was released in error to the

Sunday Tribune

in response to a Freedom of Information inquiry.

In the secret memo, the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, told his colleagues they would have to cut €900 million worth of existing services if he was to have €1.9 billion available to meet health, social welfare and public pay increases.

We made it quite clear that things were slowing down, that things were going to get difficult. Minister for Transport, Mr Seamus Brennan

The document showed there would be cuts of €150 million in education spending, €180 million in environment spending and that social welfare would be hit by a €100 million cut.

The leak has led to loud calls from all the main Opposition parties for Mr McCreevy's resignation over his "deception" of the electorate. Sinn Fein has called for a re-run of the General Election.

The Government said it had no plans to issue a reaction to the resignation calls when contacted by ireland.com.

But Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, insisted this afternoon that there had been no cover-up: "We made it quite clear that things were slowing down, that things were going to get difficult." He said there were no secret plans and the Government was "blue in the face" from stating the fact.