The anticipation of the Budget, a significant event in the Irish political timeline, is always heightened prior to the general elections. However, the declarations from the Minister for Finance, Jack Chambers, and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Paschal Donohoe were met with no shock during their delivery this Tuesday.
Despite being informed beforehand about the scope of the tax reductions, expansion in spending and specialised disbursements, the lasting impression of the recent events is a government flush with funds, set on winning voter appeal. The weekly events further resulted in the unexpected focus on a proposed €9-million expenditure on mobile phone pouches for schools, stirring intense discussions.
A more severe criticism surfaced from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC), cautioning the Budget that it echoes Ireland’s previously committed blunders of injecting a surplus of money into a fully employed economy. Political commentator, Pat Leahy adds that the criticisms often misses the fact that unlike economists, politicians are up for election and must heed the demands from voters for the distribution of surplus government funds.
The focus swiftly shifted towards the upcoming elections and its likely dates. The political journalist, Harry McGee, reported on legislative procedures being expedited to pave the way for a probable date in November. A recent informal survey of a group of TDs and Senators revealed majority of them bracing for a November electoral battle.
However, as highlighted by a government Minister, the leaders of the three governing parties are yet to discuss the matter, with discussions expected upon the Taoiseach’s return from his Washington trip. Mark Paul, the London Correspondent, hinted at a possible conversation during this visit between the Taoiseach and US President, Joe Biden, regarding an claim in Boris Johnson’s latest memoir that he confessed to the UK Prime Minister of not having true Irish lineage. A definite answer to this however, seems unlikely.
As Friday arrived, Jack Horgan-Jones was deep into his investigation, uncovering fresh elements of the fervent 11th-hour discussions within the administration, culminating in the final consensus on the budget’s finer points. It’s noteworthy that both Chambers and Donohoe had quietly shared some of the issues that the IFAC would bring to light a few days later. Horgan-Jones mentions that Donohoe warned that some of the proposed courses of action could be perceived as echoes of the boom-years. On the other hand, the Green Party’s leader, Roderic O’Gorman, remained steadfast and eventually attained his goal – a new “baby-boost” remuneration for fresh parents. This detailed walk-through of how the bargaining sessions unfolded, and the significant role custard creams played, is certainly absorbing.
Simultaneously, columnist Diarmaid Ferriter was comparing the role of the budget with a historical backdrop that reaches back to the grim 1950s. “The highs and lows rather than the balanced budgets are etched into people’s memories”, he penned. “The inseparable connection with the electoral cycle has been consistent, as has a problem pinpointed as far back as 1941 by author Seán O’Faoláin when criticising the lack of far-sighted vision. He concluded that Irish politics was hindered by ‘a clash of firm principles based on past accomplishment and the fuzzy ideas of current aspiration’.”
His colleague, columnist Stephen Collins, also adopted a historical standpoint, albeit more recent, urging the Taoiseach not duplicate his predecessor’s blunder. “There’s a striking similarity between October 2024 and October 2019,” he recorded. “Five years past, Fine Gael was also securing a strong-hold with a whooping 29 per cent of votes, while party leader Leo Varadkar was unanimously the most appreciated leader. Merely three months later, the party suffered a sharp downfall to the third position in the people’s choice poll following a catastrophic campaign in the first two months of 2020.”
However, the choice isn’t simply for Harris to make. By the week’s close, Pat was indicating that the harmony among the three governing parties showed signs of tension. He spoke of a “friction among the parties which is most pronounced at the apex” and put forth an alternative viewpoint on the escalating speculations regarding the election calendar.
For several months, I’ve surmised it would likely be beneficial for the government to hold elections in November,” he noted. “However, government insiders have firmly stated my perspective is off. They insist it’s not the government’s political interests that matter in an election, but rather the distinct parties’ interests which may or may not share common ground. Soon enough, we’ll all be in the know.
Simultaneously, Cliff Taylor revisited the budget topic and answered the most frequent query, ‘how will it impact me?’. If you belong to a family with two income sources, making over €70,000 annually and consisting of five members, then according to Cliff, you hold the upper hand this year. But he concludes with a word of caution: “By next year’s budget, homes will once again seek monetary assistance. If funds are available, it’ll be tough for members of parliament to decline.”
In Kyiv, a powerful narrative of Robert Deegan, a late Kildare resident who lost his life in combat last month fighting alongside Ukrainian special forces was drawn by Daniel McLaughlin. The account is based on the commendations of the Ukrainians who fought shoulder to shoulder with the former Army Ranger.
Earlier in the year, we began a weekly essay column, which happens to be one of the highlights of my Saturdays. Naoise Dolan, a renowned novelist based in Berlin occupies the column this week, enlightening us on the life lessons she gleaned from learning the piano.
Additionally, I would suggest Seanín Graham’s piece featuring an interview with the recently appointed SDLP leader Claire Hanna and Róisín Ingle’s chat with Anna Geary.
Ruadhán Mac Cormaic
Editor