Fianna Fáil to hold back publishing cost of budget wishlist

Fianna Fáil is likely to hold back on publishing the exact costs for its budget wishlist for up to a fortnight, despite its first formal meeting with Fine Gael over the stand-off scheduled for tomorrow.

The party’s public expenditure and reform spokesman, Dara Calleary, confirmed the situation yesterday as a series of Fine Gael TDs hit out at Fianna Fáil for not explaining how it would pay for its proposals.

Speaking at the end of his party’s pre-Dáil think-in at the Seven Oaks Hotel in Carlow, Mr Calleary — who alongside finance spokesman Michael McGrath is central to calculating the costs — said Fianna Fáil already has a clear view of how much its demands will cost.