Election casts its shadow over budget

Finance Minister Michael Noonan will next week present the last budget before the general election, which must be held before April.

The budget will lay out the Government’s plans for taxation and expenditure for 2016, and it is expected that Mr Noonan will deliver a budget package of around €1.5bn.

This stimulatory package is expected to be split roughly 50/50 between tax-reduction measures and expenditure increases.