Bulk of budget boosts to be held back

It is a measure of how far the economy has progressed in the last 12 months that most people now expect to be better off after next month’s budget.

There’s a renewed sense of confidence in where the economy is heading and a view that austerity budgets are a thing of the past.

But with such a wide range of forecasts in terms of the level of adjustment to be announced, what exactly should we expect in the minister’s speech?