We are paying a terrible price for Government failure

WE HAD all been braced for something bad. But this is unimaginable.

In terms of current spending, the single biggest cut in the budget — in excess of €800 million — was in support for the poorest families in Ireland. The next biggest cut was in the health budget, and the third biggest swipe was in the amount taken from PAYE families, including thousands on the lowest incomes.

Forget the self-congratulatory tone of those ministers saying they’ve taken the hard decisions in the country’s interest. This budget will go down in history as a monument to failure. It may take a few days to sort out the real impact from the myriad of hidden figures, but even at first glance it is clear that we are paying a terrible price for Government failure.