THE VOTE:THE GOVERNMENT had a comfortable majority in the first vote on the Budget last night. The provision relating to the increases in the income levy was passed 85 votes to 75.

Earlier, Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan said the levy increases would create hardship and take a lot of money out of local economies. “People simply will not have any money to spend.”

She said that she had to refer families in similar circumstances to the Money Advice and Budgeting Service and the St Vincent de Paul. Following the Budget, more families would simply not be able to survive, she added.