Michael Brennan: The government is telling people what they want to hear in the run-up to the budget, while carefully keeping the actual details under wraps

The government is telling people what they want to hear.

All of the budgetary talk from the government is about helping the squeezed middle'

Even though most politicians are on their holidays, three of the cabinet’s key figures were keen to keep the budget mood music sweet this week. Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said that the €1.3 billion increase in tax receipts over the first seven months of the year meant that the budget adjustment would be “somewhat less” than the €2 billion originally planned.

Tánaiste Joan Burton chipped in by saying that the economy was ...