Cowen modifies budget procedure

TÁNAISTE and Minister for Finance Brian Cowen, has announced a huge shake-up in the way budgets are to be introduced from December.

In a break with tradition, the Book of Estimates, which detailed the spending for all government departments ahead of the budget, has been scrapped.

Under the new format, all spending measures and tax changes will be presented as a total package on the day of the budget on December 5.