Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Budget day is just two weeks away, as the Minister well knows. The fiscal space of €1.2 billion to €1.5 billion was announced by the Government back in April. The purpose of my question is to bring that announcement up to date and focus, in particular, on the taxation side. The Minister has said it is his intention to split the expenditure and tax sides broadly evenly, so that amounts to €750 million on the tax side. Can the Minister clarify the impact of carry-forward measures, for example, and the first-year effect versus the effect for subsequent years? Can he confirm the capacity he has to announce new taxation measures in the budget in two weeks' time?

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