EACH WEEKDAY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you a comprehensive guide to what’s happening in the political world.
Everyone’s talking about…
Today’s report from the Fiscal Advisory Council. ‘Prudence’ is the general gist of the advice the body is giving Finance Minister Michael Noonan ahead of next month’s Budget announcement.
“One last push,” is needed in Budget 2015, Council chairman Professor John McHale warned on Morning Ireland earlier. Noonan has said several times recently that we can expect a fairly neutral Budget — but McHale’s advising the Government to stick with its initial planned adjustment of €2 billion.
Elsewhere… It’s impossible to avoid former Fianna Fáil taoisigh this morning. There’s this story about Charlie Haughey allegedly being beaten up, ahead of a Budget speech. Meanwhile, Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen were spotted chatting together at Croke Park yesterday…
The agenda
- The Dáil is off until tomorrow at 2pm.
- Junior Finance Minister Simon Harris should be giving some reaction to this morning’s Budget advice when he attends an event in Dublin 4 at lunchtime.
- And in the UK, the Labour annual conference is continuing in Manchester.
What the others are saying…
- Politicians and civil servants found guilty of corruption will be banned from office for up to ten years, once new legislation takes effect, the Irish Independent reports this morning.
- Staying with the Indo, the paper has more details on payments made to former councillors who lost their seats or retired in May’s local elections. It brings the total amount of ‘gratuity’ payments to over €12.5 million.
- Junior minister Aodhán O’Ríordán has said asylum seekers in Ireland can expect a maximum six-month turn-around in their applications, according to the Irish Examiner.
In case you missed it…
- A majority of people want a referendum on abortion, according to a weekend poll.
- There’s been lots more speculation about tax cuts in the Budget.
- Gerry Adams is off to New York to meet the Clintons… but he’s flying economy.
- Our columnist Aaron McKenna has been sizing up the coaliton options after the next election.
- And … How much is a pint in the Dáil bar?
On the Twitter machine
Kevin Cullen has been following the Irish visit of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh for the Globe…
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