Jim Power: A likely cost-of-living package is not reassuring as the budget needs long-term vision

The global chip war is also worth watching from an Irish perspective

Former Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and incumbent Jack Chambers. There are always vulnerabilities and threats out there, and policymakers should have a risk register, and engage in strategic actions and long-term planning to mitigate the big risks. Picture: Niall Carson

Ahead of Budget Day on October 1, there will be one further set of published monthly Exchequer returns relating to the end of the month.

On budget day, the returns for the end of September will not be in the public domain, but presumably the bulk of the September performance will be available to the Department of Finance and will have some impact on the contents of the budget.