Surprise as ‘old reliables’ escape hikes

IN a surprise move, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan decided not to increase excise duties on cigarettes or alcohol.

Traditionally, the “old reliables” were an easy target for former finance ministers.

However, in the last budget, Mr Lenihan bucked the trend, not touching the excise duty on cigarettes and actually cutting excise duty on alcohol. This year, his position remains unchanged.