€5 welfare hike; €4 weekly rise for workers

Payments for children of welfare recipients will be increased to over €32 while pensioners, carers, the disabled and jobseekers are likely to get an extra €5 as part of the budget.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty was in last-minute talks with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe but was expected to secure a package close to €400m, sources said.

Leo Varadkar’s first budget as Taoiseach will also include house building plans, Brexit supports, extra revenue increasing commercial stamp duty, and will be the first balanced budget since the crash.