Last of the traditional Irish budgets

No longer will Ireland’s budget be devised in secret in the back rooms of the Department of Finance and all revealed from the magic briefcase of the minister on budget day.

The wrangling over a few cents more on drink or cigarettes will continue, but every area of State spending will be circumscribed by EU demands on balanced budgets and how they perceive state spending and policies should develop.

Even when Ireland emerges, as it is due to on Dec 15, from the bailout, the traditional budget is dead.