Category: Archive
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said expenditure growth by ministers will be restricted to an increase of 5 percent next year, “within the range of what Ireland can prudently afford.” He said there was a need to keep taxes low, employment high and to sustain for the long term the revenues that result from high employment in a strong economy.
“Government plans are focused on issues that are most important and achieve value for money,” Ahern said.
McCreevy described the Estimates as the “first installment of the 2004 Budget,” which is due next month.
They were used as a chance to get a lot of bad news out of the way in advance of the budget.
The government will raise