Cowen Budget in finest economic climate in 30 years

FINANCE Minister Brian Cowen is drafting his first Budget in the finest economic climate in 30 years, according to the country's leading economic thinktank.

But the health service receives a major body-blow from a separate pre-Budget study conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute.

As the Taoiseach ruled out a Budget of tax cuts and spending hikes, and said infrastructure was the key priority for expenditure, research by the ESRI, measuring Ireland's healthcare system against other rich countries, shows we rank 21st out of 22 countries, ahead only of the USA.