The Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, has accused the anti-poverty campaigner, Fr Sean Healy, of talking nonsense on the economy.
Last week, Fr Healy, the Director of the Justice Commission of the Conference of Religious of Ireland, addressed the Fianna Fáil strategy meeting in Inchydoney, Co Cork.
In an interview in today's Sunday Independent, Mr McCreevy said he had no disagreement with Fr Healy's objectives but added that the country would be bankrupt if his policies were followed.
This afternoon, Fr Healy said all of CORI's proposals are made within fiscally responsible parameters.
He claimed 700,000 people are now at risk from poverty in Ireland, and that this figure is higher than when Mr McCreevy took office seven years ago.
