FINE Gael was so pleased with the Budget that it even sent out a press release praising it. "A business Budget to be welcomed" is bow Fine Gael deputy Michael Creed described it. In a fulsome fax, he said the Government's decision to reduce corporation "profits" tax to 30 per cent was a "tangible appreciation" of the contribution being made by the sector.

Michael is the chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Small Businesses and Services. Strangely enough, a couple of days before the Budget he called for lower corporation tax for small business in a speech at UCC. Nothing like a good prediction coming true.