Budget proposals may swing to fairway or bunker for Govt
The Irish government is navigating budget constraints ahead of the October announcement, with ministers signaling that tax cuts will be modest. Officials have ruled out a return of universal energy credits, focusing instead on targeted support for workers.
Why it matters
The budget decisions will directly impact the cost of living for Irish citizens and the political standing of the current coalition government.
Some members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party gathered in a pub co-owned by local golfing legend Shane Lowry on Sunday evening ahead of the party's two-day annual think-in in Tullamore.
Ministers are now at the point where some proposals for October's Budget are set to land on the fairway while others fall off into the bunker.
The Government's decision to extend temporary fuel excise cuts until the end of October at an estimated cost of €407m has left the Coalition with less wriggle room to deliver on all the budgetary promises it has floated in recent months, with the Opposition putting the pressure on to do more to help people with the cost of living.
With that in mind, the Taoiseach was emphatic ahead of his party's think-in that there would be no return of universal energy credits .
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