GRA says commissioner's ambition of 450 students this year "aspirational"

Officials also explored the possibility of a revamped 'home renovation' incentive. 

Minister for Public Expenditure says the measures would be nowhere near as drastic as were seen during the economic crash.

Covid Restrictions Support Scheme offers a maximum weekly payment of €5,000 to viable businesses closed due to pandemic

Businesses can receive up to €5,000 per week if trade has been significantly impacted by restrictions

The latest changes will add 'at least' €1,000 to the average price of a car

The proposition of an ad published last week would seem to be that old people, and people who are not 100% healthy, are expendable, writes Terry Prone 

The recommendation of top health advisers to move to level five has raised fears about the Christmas season

Economists warn the toughest level of controls over the key Christmas trading period will lead to significant business failures

Parents don't need €1 here and a week's leave there, as promised in this week's budget — what parents need is a public model of childcare

The budget announced by the Government is "massively reckless", further alienates regional Ireland, and is too centred on Cork and Dublin, a leading Waterford-based academic has said.

Finance minister Paschal Donohoe has been on the receiving end of some internal criticism from his Fine Gael party colleagues for not spending big last year ahead of the general election.

The budgetary allocation of €50 million for mental health is just 1% of the overall health budget for 2021 and is “totally inadequate” to meet the growing demand for services and support a new mental health strategy, the Psychiatric Nurses ...

There we have it. Another budget when we try to decipher what good it’s actually going to do. Deck-chair rearranging and talk of money being no object is the way to go apparently.

IN his budget speech on Tuesday, Paschal Donohoe, the finance minister, pledged to build a stronger Ireland from the "ashes of the pandemic". One way to do that is to recognise the potential of the digital economy and look at ways to assist it.

Fresh from delivering Budget 2021, Paschal Donohoe sits down with Political Editor Daniel McConnell and reveals making major decisions amid a pandemic has brought the coalition closer together

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, meanwhile, told the Dáil that the pandemic had highlighted weaknesses in Irish society, but said the budget aimed to address those

Defending the decision, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said the increase in funding was "important" to the sport, as spectators were no longer able to attend events

The health minister Stephen Donnelly has said there is no double-counting of hospital beds announced in the budget.

As the mammoth budget was digested around Leinster House, opposition TDs have slammed the government on housing, welfare and childcare.

He said that they have been very clear  about ending direct provision but it is going to take time and that the increased allocations in the Budget were "absolutely necessary".

Global gaming industry is larger than movie and music industries combined

Housing minister Darragh O'Brien has denied that his department's affordability scheme is a "win for developers" or a "double mortgage". The housing budget will top €3.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says that he wants schools to remain open across the country even if there are new restrictions but said that he will not pre-empt any Cabinet decision on the border counties.

Budget 2021 was 'a missed opportunity' for the Government to ensure a functioning aviation industry post-Covid

Arts minister Catherine Martin is hoping that a €50m fund for the live entertainment industry will "trickle down" to musicians, stage crew, and other workers.

A National Food Ombudsman office will be created under budget commitments for the Department of Agriculture next year.

€79m in new funding for agri-environment and major Rural Development schemes extended

The biggest giveaway budget in history has seen overall Government spending balloon from €87bn last year to €106bn this year and €109bn next year

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe concluded his budget speech yesterday in a way few, if any, of his predecessors felt obliged to, probably because none of them faced as many troubling known knowns or indeed inevitable unknown unknowns as we do today.

Industry representatives say the changes are likely to lead to an increase, rather than a reduction in car carbon emissions

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has indicated that border counties could move to level 4 restrictions as the situation north of the border worsens.

Mary Lou McDonald, who argued that "action is needed" in terms of tackling the spread of Covid-19, said that businesses will need more support that the Covid Response Support Scheme (CRSS) announced yesterday.

Borrowing will not pay for permanently increased current spending — only tax will

Economist Jim Power and Irish Examiner Political Correspondent Danny McConnell joined Mick to discuss this and other elements of Budget 2021

More than 12,000 weddings have been cancelled this year, but the Opposition would have us believe that we'd finally seen the marriage we'd all been waiting for on budget day.

The clamour to fight for the economic wellbeing of ‘workers’ and ‘ordinary’ people is worthwhile, but it has revealed the lowliness with which the political class regard us carers

But escalating restrictions due to soaring cases could derail plan

The budget announced an unprecedented level of expenditure focused on getting businesses and employers through the rest of 2020.

Whether the Government can keep its nerve to spend even more if the pandemic takes a further vicious turn will only be known in time

We break down some of the scenarios

In an exclusive Budget day interview with the Irish Examiner, he rejected opposition criticism that the Budget offers little for working people

Paschal Donohoe and Michael McGrath announced the largest budget in the history of the State today

The embattled Cork and Shannon Airports will have access to an additional €10m in capital funding as part of next year’s Budget. It was announced that support of €31. 3m will be given to all of the regional airports, with €21.