Leo Varadkar wants budget assurance from Fianna Fáil

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is to up the stakes with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin this week by insisting, at a private meeting, that he will only put forward a budget in October if he knows his party will still be in power to implement it.

Mr Varadkar will make the claim to speed up the start of talks on whether to renew the confidence-and-supply deal between the parties, despite Mr Martin repeatedly saying the deal will not be discussed until after the budget legislation is passed.

Speaking as a separate internal Cabinet rift, between Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty emerged over whether USC funds could be used to address the pensions time bomb, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil sources said the parties’ two leaders would meet this week.