Or as the average FF hack would say "sure they are the same thing.....!"

The poll can be interpreted two ways. Severe in how it "addresses the structural issues" (biffo-speak, translates as: cutting public spending) or sever in how it "broadens and restructures the tax base" (Biffo-speak again. ie, taxes you to the point where you join the queue for food parcels)

Will Jim voluntarily 'share the pain', that being the latest buzz word?

It's nor going to be severe enough - definitely not severe enough on those who almost beggared Ireland - Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party Indeed!

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I suspect not. Far from being the decisive leader he was cracked up to be, Cowen has proven just as much a ditherer as Bertie, only worse. Worse because he sometimes comes out with decisive language but then doesn't follow through on it. An example being his call for public-sector reform which it has taken him almost a year to get started on with the public-sector pay freeze and the pension-levy. Humming-and-hawing could have been forgiven during the boom, when money was no object. But it can only be a disaster when you're the captain of the Titanic on a collision course with the iceberg. He is like a captain that wants consensus before changing course, with the result that by the time he does, it's too late. Expect yet another budget in six months or so. This is weak leadership and the country deserves better.

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If it was the Labour proposal he would certainly be voting against it.
€2.8bn- they are having a laugh.

I doubt it. Lets see what happens. This could eassily be a typical FF ploy - as was mentioned, to fend off huge opposition cries, or indeed widespread backbencher outrage, or it could be the first salvo in bringing down the government so FF go into opposition and then decimate those in power once again and blame thew state of the nation on someone else. Surely they have woken up to the fact that they messed the whole country up and have no clue how to fix it. So they try to fix themselves in the eyes of the electorate by setting up the otherside for a big fall.

It's hard to know what those cute hoors are up to.

The budget will only be successful if all those who have benefitted during the boom are made to pay their fair share now we have the bust. Unfortunately though it will be ordinary working and middle class folk who have to feel the pain. I don't mind my class working/middle class paying their due but the rich also need to be made to cough up this budget or else it will prove that FF didn't mean a word of what they have said over the last decade or so. I expect they didn't but I hope to be proved wrong.

Am I mistaken in thinking that when McDaid went into semi-retirement a couple of years ago he resumed his medical career without resigning his Dáil seat (and the remuneration that went with it).

We'd be having another budget in about 6 months anyway, or do you still think it's the dead of winter?

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Thanks for the votes - Dan Sullivan. I'll be back and then we can all have a vote.


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I expect it will do what is required - i.e. large cuts in spending, some tax increases and the tax base being broadened; there is a realisation that increasing taxes too much will be counter productive, the system is unfair with a mere 7% paying 50% of income tax, you cannot continue to extract more taxes from this small group. Having said that I would like to see the ceiling of PRSI removed and the PRSI rate dropped, this makes it cheaper for employeers to employ people on lower and middle incomes.

Public service and social welfare rates are too high and will be cut, there is no alternative.

Personally I would like to see Job Seekers Benefit increase and last for 2-3 years, with Job Seekers Allowance being cut to UK rates; this means people who have worked, lost their job and want to work get a semi decent amount to live on until the economy recovers, and those that have refused to work, get some encouragement to got out and really seek a job