Spectre of budget looms large on the horizon
And the realities of what that dark December Tuesday afternoon might bring were brought more sharply into focus last week as the Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan indicated the previously-signalled €3 billion package of cuts should be regarded as a minimum.
That immediately sparked fears about just how draconian this year’s instalment of austerity could be, with some speculation that it could end up being as large as €4bn. That latter figure was, however, quickly played down by the Government, which leaves one thinking that something in between is what is being considered.
