Optimism the key ingredient for Cowen’s budget recipe

FINANCE Minister Brian Cowen has stuck to his pledge to change how the Government deals with its annual budget.

And the “Pre-Budget Outlook”, published yesterday, marked a more open and transparent framework against which he will present his 2007 budget in early December, according to the minister.

Overall, the figures paint a very positive picture of 5% growth between 2006 and up to and including 2008.