Budget cuts to dominate Dáil business

Budget cuts surrounding the withdrawal of medical cards, removing the telephone allowance and death grants and slashing maternity benefit will dominate Dáil business today.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny will face questions from the opposition for the first time since the measures were announced yesterday.

The first of the measures such as the rise in the cost of a pint and a bottle of wine as well the price of tobacco came into effect at midnight last night.

Last night the top brass in Fine Gael and Labour felt they'd pulled it off and were over the worst of Budget 2014.

There was no one issue on the minds of backbenchers - who were even quizzing journalists about what potential landmines there would be.

They'll find out when the Dáil reconvenes at 10.30am this morning when opposition leaders bring up the main issues they feel are too harsh from the Budget.

They could focus on the plan to make savings in medical cards - the only way to do that is to withdraw some.