No giveaways, but a pre-election budget it is

The well-rehearsed piece of political theatre that is the budget speech will be delivered this Tuesday and the Taoiseach has been eager to point out that we shouldn’t expect any drama. While the Minister’s for Finance’s Dáil setpiece is usually the final act of a drama that involves weeks of negotiation and kite-flying, this year’s speech will be a scene-setter for another political stage show.

For all the talk of prudence and its ...