90,000 earners taken out of tax net, tax breaks reviewed

Minister for Finance Brian Cowen has moved to take more than 90,000 earners out of the tax net by increasing the standard rate band by €2,600.

As he distributed the €2.5bn exchequer surplus in today's Budget, Mr Cowen also increased paid maternity leave by eight weeks to 26 weeks by 2007 and doubled unpaid leave to 16 weeks.