'Bad budget' could impact outcome of presidential election

Independent presidential nominee Catherine Connolly will 'sail through' if public expenditure minister Jack Chambers doesn't loosen purse strings

Several Government sources have contacted the 'Irish Examiner' to say that other ministers have also been told by Mr Chambers they are asking for too much money.

Government ministers have said public expenditure minister Jack Chambers must loosen the purse strings or risk impacting the presidential election.

One senior government source told the Irish Examiner that if there is a “bad budget”, independent presidential nominee Catherine Connolly will “sail through”.

As reported by this newspaper, Mr Chambers told social protection minister Dara Calleary that his budget package demand was “too large”. 

One source said that Mr Calleary was told to “go back to the drawing board”. 

They argued that this could put the proposed €12 social welfare increase at risk.

Several Government sources have contacted the Irish Examiner to say that other ministers have also been told by Mr Chambers they are asking for too much money.

One source said the conversation was “not constructive”, and they were told it was “just too large and to revise downwards”.

Presidential election on October 24

They also expressed concerns about the impact that the budget will have on the presidential election on October 24 and the impact it could have on Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys.

“Jack has to realise that there are big promises right across the programme for government, which he negotiated, and they need money to get done,” one senior government source said.

“Being extra prudent is not going to cut it come polling day if the Government hasn’t delivered on its own pledges.”

One source said that “Jack is going to have to loosen the belt”.

Another senior government official stated, “that is just Jack”, while another said that “everyone is” getting push back.

"Everyone is going mad with Jack," another said. "He seems to have been captured by DPER [Department of Public Expenditure and Reform]."