Nicole Glennon: Can Budget 2021 save those hit hardest by Covid-19?

Many in the hospitality, entertainment and tourism sectors fear the pandemic could be a death knell for businesses, writes Nicole Glennon. Can Budget 2021 be the buoy?

People on Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork yesterday ahead of the new Level 3 restrictions coming into force. Picture Denis Minihane.

When Minister for Finance Paschal Donohue stands in front of the Dáil next Tuesday, he will seek to deliver a budget that both predicts and prepares for, the most unpredictable period in the history of the Irish economy. Rarely, has a budget been delivered in a time of such great uncertainty.

Budget 2021 will be delivered against the backdrop of the UK’s impending departure from the European Union on January 1 with no deal in place, and a pandemic that has consistently forced closure or partial closure on businesses across the region with no end-date in sight.