McCreevy attacks Brennan over cost of road plans

The Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, has expressed strong concern that Cabinet colleague, Seamus Brennan, is disregarding the state of the country's finances.

In a strongly worded letter, Mr McCreevy said the Minister for Transport was making unrealistic proposals at Cabinet.

The letter and another one sent to the Taoiseach on the same subject have been obtained by RTE under the Freedom of Information Act.

Written just a month ago, the letter sets out in clear and unequivocal terms what the Mr McCreevy thinks of suggestions made by the Minister for Transport, Seamus Brennan.

The public transport proposals he put forward at Cabinet and committee level are 'totally unrealistic' due to the current budgetary situation.

Minister McCreevy points out that he granted an extra €209m to the roads budget for this year.

This, he says, is the only area where a capital budget was increased 'despite the huge demands on me in other areas including health, education and housing'.

The Minister for Finance acknowledges the importance of transport infrastructure but investment, he says 'cannot be divorced from overall budgetary and public expenditure policy and must be grounded in reality'.

Although much of the letter is blacked out because it contains sensitive information, it is clear from the remainder that there are still major pressures and tensions between Cabinet colleagues as they try to get the best for their own Department.

Minister McCreevy is not known to hold back on criticisms of other Ministers. Last year it was the Minister for Health, Micheál Martin, who was at the receiving end of similar criticism.

The letter seen by RTE can only be described as a blistering attack by Minister McCreevy. A copy of was also sent to the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste where Mr McCreevy said he was registering his strong concern that Seamus Brennan was disregarding the budgetary position. It is not known what Minister Brennan's response to this letter was.

Changes in the Freedom of Information Act proposed by Mr McCreevy and backed by his cabinet colleagues would mean that letters such as this will no longer be released to the public.