Budget independence is now history

THE days of the Finance Minister arriving in the Dáil on budget day with a secret list of how he will raise and spend your money is over.

For Ireland, it ended last year when the previous government signed an agreement for a €67.5 billion bail-out. For all other eurozone countries, it will end next year.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny told German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin during the week that Ireland was looking forward to regaining its sovereignty, but agreements already reached means it will never be quite the same.