Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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Okay, that is interesting. I will go back to a point made by both Ministers in response to remarks made earlier by Deputy Boyd Barrett. There is no doubt that the simulating welfare, income tax, childcare and health policies, SWITCH, model analysis produced alongside budget 2023 stated clearly that the budget, on an overall basis, was progressive. That was a certain interpretation of the budget because when we strip away the once-off measures including those in budget 2024, that was not the case. There was a bit of a three-card trick going on immediately after the budget. The presentation of the budget suited a certain narrative. Ministers were warned last September by others and by me that once those once-off measures dissipated in January, there would be a requirement to provide additional resources to those who needed them the most in the springtime. The Minister did, in effect, admit that by having what I can only describe as a second go of this, a second or mini-budget in February. Is the Minister leaving room in his forecasts for similar initiatives next spring, if and when required?