Lenihan criticised for failing to soften budget blow

FINANCE Minister Brian Lenihan has been criticised for failing to take his chance to amend the emergency budget and ease pressure on low income families.

The opposition said yesterday’s Finance Bill, which will give legal affect to the main aspects of last month’s budget, was a “stubborn” move on behalf of the minister.

The bill, which will have to be debated in the Oireachtas, included measures to ease penalties on businesses paying their taxes late and clarified the system of levies due on redundancy payments.