McCreevy appears with Budget CD-ROM

Charlie McCreevy has appeared in front of the cameras at Government Buildings hours ahead of delivering what many are hoping will be a relatively conservative Budget.

However, he was tight-lipped about the contents of the CD-ROM he displayed, and told reporters that they would have to wait until the official announcement this afternoon at 3.45pm.

Schools and roads are expected to be the main beneficiaries in today’s Budget.

While cigarettes, alcohol and petrol may face small tax hikes, Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy is expected to use the increase in revenue to fund long-term spending priorities.

Five-year programmes were understood to have been agreed with several government departments, with €1bn expected to be spent on upgrading primary schools in that period.

The Government is hoping for a positive public response to massive investment in the country’s roads network, amounting to around €1.2bn per annum over five years.