No budget decisions made, says Taoiseach

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has insisted that no decisions have been made about budgetary figures after Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said tax changes would give workers "an extra fiver or tenner" a week.

Mr Kenny distanced himself from Mr Varadkar’s prediction and said the Government would make collective decisions on priority areas before budget day on October 14th. “We’ve made no decisions about any of these figures at all,” Mr Kenny said.

He also called on Mr Varadkar to bring time lines to Cabinet indicating when free GP care for under-sixes would be implemented.

Mr Kenny said he was “far more interested in how you set about achieving what the Government targets are instead of giving endless, endless volumes of why things can’t be done”.

The Taoiseach said pre- budget discussions were taking place between Minister for Finance Michael Noonan and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin.

“The fact of the matter is that discussions are now taking place with both Ministers and will over the next period and the Government will make collective decisions. We’ve already said where our priorities are and we will hope to make our decisions in those areas in due course.”

‘Modest’ tax package

Mr Kenny was speaking at a Guaranteed Irish event in Dublin yesterday afternoon. Mr Varadkar's interview was on RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme.

“Whatever tax package happens it’s going to be relatively modest. It’s going to be an extra fiver or tenner in your payslip every week and that would be very welcome,” Mr Varadkar said.

He said the average person would certainly like to see their take home-pay rising again. However, he did not think people would welcome an increase in take- home pay if it came at the expense of the health services.

Asked if under-sixes would receive free care this year, Mr Varadkar said: “I can’t say that for certain. That depends on how the talks and the negotiations go with the IMO [Irish Medical Organisation].”

Mr Kenny said he hoped that Mr Varadkar would soon bring recommendations to Cabinet indicating when the scheme could be implemented.