First budget cut is deepest as Enda breaks pledge for new era of honesty

SO now we know the first cut of the next budget — a slashing of the Government’s credibility regarding its pledge to usher in a new era of openness and honesty.

After smugly insisting it would discard to history the old backhanded, backroom politics of Fianna Fáil by publishing the outline of the budget by the end of October so that a “serious national dialogue” could ensue, Fine Gael and Labour have let party posturing dominate as usual.

With tensions between the two parties raging over whether the package of spending cuts and tax hikes will be left at “just” €3.6 billion or be pushed up even higher as Finance Minister Michael Noonan has indicated, Enda Kenny moved to slip the announcement back to November — and thus safely past the presidential election on October 27.