A strengthening of income and corporate tax receipts in May helped narrow the gap between the Government’s tax revenue targets and what it is actually collecting for the first time this year.

Michael Noonan has signalled he intends to give tax cuts with one hand and take extra levies back with the other in the upcoming budget.

With €1bn more in his pocket than he expected from taxes, Finance Minister Michael Noonan might be tempted to play the old game of auction politics, a political ploy which has cost the Irish economy dearly in the past. Fortunately, as a politician he tends to err on the side of caution, and knows what a blunder it would be.

It’s Fine Gael and Labour’s turn to buy votes now. And FF thought they were good at it?

The Government has moved to play down comments by US president Barack Obama that American companies are using legal loopholes to save tax by setting up headquarters in Ireland.

In the course of a strong attack on American businesses suspected of moving off shore to avoid taxes, US president Barrack Obama specifically mentioned Ireland as one of the havens during a television interview on the business network CNBC on Thursday.

The public is split on whether it can stomach a tax to help cut the country’s sugar addiction — despite nine in 10 people accepting the move is key to winning Ireland’s obesity battle.

Ireland could be in for a windfall, if multinationals here are found to be paying less than their fair share of corporation tax, but the country could also face losing its attraction for such global giants.

The news that the European Commission is to investigate what are described as tax breaks for multi nationals operating in Ireland will provoke some concern.

It’s time to act so that children cared for by childminders cannot and should not be disadvantaged, writes Heino Schonfeld.

The Government’s Fiscal Advisory Council has slapped down Labour’s suggestion of tax cuts for families and warned there is no scope for such relief until at least 2016.

GETTING Ireland working again is the Government’s top priority. That is why it is my ambition to prove by 2016 that Ireland is the best small country in the world in which to do business.

AMERICAN businesses are urging the Taoiseach to kickstart negotiations on a free trade agreement between the US and EU while Ireland holds the presidency.