Dáil reopens - New budget posturing

The new Dáil session is likely to be dominated by the forthcoming budget, which Taoiseach Enda Kenny has described as the most challenging of the Government’s period in office.

The savage cuts and extra taxes that have been flagged provide enormous scope for individual politicians to get personal publicity.

Many of the suggestions may be little more than kites to test the political winds. Some will cause much angst, especially proposed pension cuts and new taxes that may hurt the most vulnerable most.

Some of the suggestions should be taken with a pinch of scepticism, because politicians on all sides of the Dáil would appear to have a vested interest in exaggerating the likely impact. On one hand, deputies from opposition parties will raise fears so they can later pretend that it was through their influence that the worst did not happen, while, on the other hand, Government deputies will be able exploit the eventual realisation that things were not as bad as some were predicting.

There is also likely to be considerable focus on the Constitutional referendum on the rights of children. As there is already considerable agreement on the part of all the parties, the referendum is likely to be little more than a diversion from political posturing.