Current Finance Bill is here to stay

The Finance Billmust be passed within four months of a budget, and can’t be ignored even by an incoming government

Many people will already have felt first-hand the impact of the budget announcements on their pay and pensions.

That being the case, why do we need a Finance Bill to implement budget decisions which are already taking effect?

The combined operation of our Constitution, existing tax legislation and the rules of the Houses of the Oireachtas make it quite difficult for any government to impose new taxes.

A strict process has to be ...