Metro North and property tax to feature in Budget discussions today

The Cabinet meets tonight with December’s Budget to take centre stage as Fianna Fáil reels from another disappointing opinion poll.

Ministers are expected to discuss plans for multi-billion euro spending cuts and the four-year budgetary road map.

They meet a day after a new poll in The Sunday Business Post put support for the senior coalition party at just 18%, compared to 32% for Fine Gael and 27% for Labour.

In advance of the talks Childrens Minister Barry Andrews warned the public should expect painful decisions.

“It’s going to be painful for people in receipt of welfare, it may have a detrimental affect on some of our educational provisions,” Mr Andrews told RTE’s Week in Politics programme.

The meeting is due to take place this evening and will be followed by day-long talks tomorrow.

It is thought €4.5bn is now the minimum figure needed, but some Department of Finance officials say €6bn is closer to the mark.

This evening's meeting at Farmleigh in Dublin will focus on specific measures such as the future of Metro North in Dublin and the possible introduction of a property tax.