THE GOVERNMENT IS hoping to put off criticism and analysis of its four-year budgetary plan for Ireland by not releasing details of it until the end of the month.

The nitty-gritty of how exactly the Government plans to make a €15 billion adjustment to the national finances over the next four years may not be unveiled until after the Donegal South West by-election, The Irish Times has suggested.

An information note on the Government’s four-year budgetary plan (2011-2014), published yesterday by the Department of Finance, shied away from committing to a date for publishing the plan. The second-last page of the leaflet just says:

The Government’s four-year budgetary consolidation plan will be published later in the month.

The Donegal by-election will be held on November 25 – just two weeks before the 2011 Budget is to be announced on December 7. The Government has vowed to make a €6bn adjustment in that budget and an adjustment of about €15bn in total over the next four years. The four-year plan was devised with the European Commission.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said yesterday that the initial €6bn whack on the public finances – to be met through spending cuts and tax increases – was intended to show that the Government was serious about getting the country back on track. He said:

A significant frontloading of the consolidation in 2011 is deemed necessary and will underline the strength of our resolve and show that the country is serious about tackling our public finance difficulties.