The Government is coming under internal pressure to reverse the controversial withdrawal of a social welfare benefit for widows and widowers.
Fianna Fáil backbenchers last night expressed serious concern that any refusal by the Government to restore additional disability, injury or unemployment benefits to widows would become a major local election issue.
The former minister Mr Michael Woods was among those urging change in the policy at a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party. A source said Mr Woods expressed concern about the direction being taken by Fianna Fáil with such measures.
Others who spoke against the measure included the Cork TD Mr John Dennehy and the Sligo TD Mr Jimmy Devins.
"The view was that people were detecting huge sympathy for the widows," said one person who was at the meeting. "There needs to be a quick change, not a prolonged review."
Fianna Fáil's official spokeswoman said the chairman of the parliamentary party, Mr Seamus Kirk TD, had indicated that he would pass on such views to the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan.
The Minister discussed the issue yesterday with representatives of the National Association of Widows of Ireland, but gave no commitment to reverse the policy.
Ms Coughlan would only say afterwards that she would keep the issue under review.
The Minister, in a statement following the meeting, said she would continue to keep the implementation of reforms under review.
The Minister said she welcomed the meeting in the light of the concerns raised by the representative group.
"I said that I would continue to undertake - as I have with all the reforms I have brought into the social welfare code - to keep the implementation of reforms under review to ensure that the total social welfare budget continues to be best spent tackling disadvantage, helping those in unemployment and providing other social supports," she said.
Mr Willie Penrose TD, Labour Spokesperson on Social and Family Affairs, who moved a joint Opposition motion in the Dáil, said it was the meanest and most unnecessary cut of all.