Michael Ring ‘let fly’ at Donohoe and Varadkar over budget

Michael Ring, the Rural Affairs Minister, is understood to have launched a “ferocious” broadside at Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at last Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

Mr Ring, who is known to be very displeased at the lack of progress in the formal establishment of his newly created department and the budget it has, was a lone dissenting voice at Cabinet on the morning of the budget.

According to several sources present, Mr Ring “exploded” towards the end of the Cabinet meeting which had received a briefing on the budget from Mr Donohoe when Mr Varadkar asked for feedback from ministers.