Miriam Lord: Budget 2018, with Paschal Done-with-No-Hue-and-Very-Little-Cry
The only surprise? That people were surprised there was no surprise
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, outlines changes in USC and tax bands rates in his Budget 2018 speech. Video: Oireachtas
No fireworks, promised the Taoiseach. He was right. No need to wait for the smoke to clear after the Minister’s speech, because it barely managed a few sparks. This was not a big-bang budget. It was a keep-your-powder-dry budget, and it was carefully and colourlessly outlined to an increasingly drowsy Dáil by the Minister for Finance, Paschal Done-with-No-Hue-and-Very-Little-Cry.