When Budgets Go Bad
7 October - 19 mins
Podcast Series
Newstalk Daily
Some budgets deliver stability — others end in political disaster. Ireland’s history is full of both. With Budget 2026 about to be unveiled, Ciara Doherty and Daniel McConnell, editor of the Business Post and co-author (with John Lee) of Hell at the Gates: The Inside Story of Ireland’s Financial Downfall, reflect on moments when budgets went awry.
From Ray “Mac the Knife” McSharry’s brutal cuts in the 1980s, to Charlie McCreevy’s boom-era generosity — and his short-lived attempt at tax individualisation that sparked a backlash from families — right through to Brian Lenihan’s crisis budgets during the financial crash, the podcast explores how misjudged measures can haunt governments for yea...
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