Something for everyone in the audience, but is budget too late, late for coalition?

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe: Such was the extent of the giveaway, Sinn Féin speakers were spotted in the Dáil crossing out large sections of their pre-prepared speeches, given their lines of attack had been neutralised. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

“Sure, we’ve out Shinnered the Shinners,” was the caustic quip from an ebullient backbench TD leaving the Dáil chamber on Tuesday afternoon.

As a veteran of more than 15 budgets, I have seen varying reactions from government TDs to announcements from their ministerial colleagues.

I have witnessed the despair and pain on the faces of TDs during the grim years of austerity.

Since the end of that cruel austerity period, the amount of money doled out has been a fraction of what has been given out for 2023.

On those occasions, finance ministers had to resort to trying to give a little to everyone, ultimately spreading the money so thinly as to be meaningless.

This year feels very different, notwithstanding the difficult winter ahead.

Government TDs were like Cheshire cats, seeing that this budget essentially had something for everyone in the audience.

“Hard to oppose that, hey,” was a common refrain from the cheery brigade who almost brought themselves to say nice things about their own leader, Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

Leaked to an unprecedented level, Budget 2023 and its €11bn package has brought Government spending to record levels, with goodies galore for farmers, toddlers, teenagers, renters, nightclubs, business owners, commuters, motorists and on and on.

There is even going to be a new plane for An Garda Siochána to carry out surveillance on criminals from on high. The only thing missing, one cynic added, was a new Government jet.

So many leaks robbed the day of much of the drama and excitement of yesteryear but bruised and battered coalition TDs revelled in a rare good day to be on the Government backbenches.

What was interesting to note was TDs gleefully clutching the budget book knowing that a plethora of local projects in their area were included in the final budget shake-up.

Obviously set against the backdrop of a painful cost-of-living crisis, the bonanza unleashed by the Government, from a political perspective, is very hard to oppose.

Such was the extent of the giveaway, Sinn Féin speakers were spotted in the Dáil crossing out large sections of their pre-prepared speeches, given their lines of attack had been neutralised.

Indeed, Government ministers exclaimed how the intention for the budget, going back many weeks, was to “neutralise Sinn Féin” and stop it from being able to say convincingly they didn’t do enough.

For so many months, this Government has found itself on the back foot, reacting to Sinn Féin criticisms on the cost of living rather than setting the agenda on its terms.

The arch populism of ‘more, more, more’ which has typified Sinn Féin’s approach in recent months has essentially been matched and nullified.

Having ignored calls to bring forward a mini or emergency budget, the Government parties had pinned their hopes on a big-bang package of sufficient fire power to silence all their critics.

Given what has happened in the UK in recent days in the wake of its mini-budget, that decision to hold fire until now appears to be an astute one.

Taking to his feet at 1pm, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe hit a stoic if confident tone as he outlined his centrepiece tax measure — an increase to the standard rate cut-off point by €3,200 to €40,000, with proportionate increases for married couples and civil partners.

In his address, Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath wasted little time in setting out the list of sweeteners for virtually every age and economic group.

Those with toddlers will see their childcare costs reduced by a quarter this year on average, ahead of a similar cut next year. Those with primary school children will no longer have to worry about the cost of school books while third level students will see the cost of going to college drop substantially.

All through McGrath’s budget, families were central and the big winners.

'Missed opportunity'

The opposition did its best to poke holes in it, but it was in vain.

The cry of “missed opportunity” from the likes of Pearse Doherty, Ged Nash and Róisín Shortall was not long coming but none of the opposition spokespeople were able to open a viable front of attack on Messrs Donohoe and McGrath.

The streets around the parliament were closed off in a ring of steel on the premise that the Dáil would be stormed by angry demonstrators.

The absence of any protestors outside the highly fortified Leinster House said it all and the barriers came down early as a result.

One of the questions being asked was whether the package announced will be enough or whether a mini-budget will be needed in the new year to meet additional needs.

McGrath later failed to rule it out and he has a several billion euro war chest set aside should that eventuality arise. But he said as of now it is not envisaged.

On that one, it is a case of watch this space.

Again along the corridors of Leinster House, opposition and Government TDs alike openly mentioned the possibility of a general eection next year.

“October,” said one on the basis Leo Varadkar as taoiseach would not want to wait until the local and European elections in 2024.

Others said a summertime election next year is likely.

After the main speeches, Taoiseach Micheál Martin went for a stroll out of the chamber.

Unusually, he didn’t turn left to go back to Government Buildings, instead turning right and passing by the opposition offices in Leinster House 2000, the annex building, as McGrath was holding a mini press conference with the media. 

Mr Martin was asked by my doughty colleague Elaine Loughlin as to whether this was an election budget.

“Banish that thought,” came the sharp response with a glint in his eye. Many others are not so sure.