With a cloudier economic horizon has enough gone into the business sector?

Much of the added expenditure has gone into the public sector

'Risks remain high, with company closures more likely and job losses more permanent on the horizon.' Picture: Gareth Chaney

Last year’s Budget was framed in the shadow of Brexit, this year's is amidst the worst global pandemic in living memory.

The devastation created by Covid-19 across the hospitality and transport sectors left Minister Paschal Donohoe searching for levers that would enable a broader sustainable economic recovery, across all sectors rather than just relying on the juggernaut export sector which bounced back by mid-year to exceed last year’s record level and bolstering the exchequer tax take.