Firms now pay for reckless Budget

THE Chambers of Commerce of Ireland’s wish list for 2003, unsurprisingly, harbours hopes that the Government and any emerging partnership agreement, will be kind to business.

Indeed, the business group is not only still smarting from some of the measures introduced by Charlie McCreevy in Budget 2003, but it still hasn't forgiven him for some of those introduced in Budget 2002.

Chambers of Commerce of Ireland chief executive John Dunne says: "I suppose we started out 2002 pointing out that the Budget for 2002 was irresponsible. In fact, I remember congratulating the minister for finance on the radio for having got the business community to pay for Fianna Fáil's election manifesto. I think that's been borne out. It was an irresponsible Budget and was part of an election