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07 April 2009

How Irish aren’t we: budget deficit version

Here’s an idea for public finance we are not likely to see around these parts:

Irish politicians  - both in the Republic and in the North - are taking pay cuts to help deal with the country’s financial woes.  Cabinet in the Republic is slicing pay by 10%.  The opposition party leader is lopping off five percent of its pay and senior executives at the national broadcaster are taking a “significant reduction” in pay.

A tip of the derby to Guido Fawkes for that one.

Around these parts, government is facing a record forecast deficit.  We’ll have to wait until  next spring to see if it comes through as predicted in the budget.

In the meantime, cabinet is forecast to increase in size by one new portfolio plus all the attendant costs budget spending will likely stay at record heights for the next three years.

-srbp-