Cabinet to decide emergency budget date

THE CABINET will decide today the date of the emergency budget and arrangements for the debate, Taoiseach Brian Cowen has told the Dáil.

He insisted “there is no mystery” about the date as Opposition leaders pressed him to name the date, following weekend reports that it would be on Thursday, April 2nd.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny asked if a Finance Bill would follow and whether the Dáil would be recalled during the Easter recess.

Mr Cowen said the budget “could be in early April” and that a Finance Bill would be brought forward under the same arrangements as the normal budget arrangements. “It has to be brought in by a certain time after the budget.”

When Mr Kenny said he presumed the Budget would not be on April Fool’s day, Mr Cowen replied to some laughter: “not unless you’re around”.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said April 2nd had been mentioned as the date, and “there aren’t a lot of options”. He asked “why is there such a mystery about the Budget debate”. He asked about it because normally a week was given to debate the Budget and there were implications for that debate if the Budget was presented in Easter week, he said.

Mr Cowen said: “There is no mystery and we will make whatever decisions are necessary.”

Mr Gilmore also referred to Mr Cowen’s address at the Fianna Fáil ardfheis when he announced a reduction in the maximum amounts that could be contributed to political parties and in the amounts to be declared.

Mr Gilmore said an electoral Bill would be before the House today and tomorrow and his party planned an amendment to “give effect” to the Taoiseach’s announcement. He said since it was a Government measure there should be “no difficulty” with it.