The Inquisitor: Time to trim the fattest pensions in the land

A super-tax on the country's biggest and most bloated pensions is the best move that the government could make when drawing up next month's budget, writes Michael Murray.

There is precious little that Noonan can do to make himself popular. But there is a lot he can do that would make him look smart.

Santa and the Christmas decorations will be just a stone's throw away in Grafton Street's shop windows when Minister for Finance Michael Noonan stands up in Leinster House next month to deliver his second budget.

The contrast between the glitter of Grafton Street and the gloom in Leinster House will be stark. Within the strait-jacket of the troika, there is precious little that Noonan can do to make himself popular. But there is ...