Cabinet warned demands for extra funds will be viewed 'extremely negatively'

Leo Varadkar and Paschal Donohoe have been accused of “control freakery” by ministerial colleagues after they issued a “omerta” warning over demands for more money in the budget.

With three weeks to go until the budget, ministers and their advisers have been warned any sort of “kite-flying” in terms of additional spending will be viewed “extremely negatively”.

“Demands for more money being made through the pages of the newspapers will see people put at the back of the queue,” said one senior Government source.