Listen |Michael McGrath TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Paschal Donohoe TD, Minister for Finance at the Department of Finance. Photograph Nick Bradshaw for The Irish TimesOn today’s podcast Jack Horgan-Jones and Cliff Taylor discuss next week’s budget, when the government is expected to deliver a huge package of relief for households as well as the usual adjustments to taxes and new fiscal initiatives.
One sector that will be watching closely next week is tourism. Businesses will be hoping for an extension of the 9% VAT rate that was brought in to help them survive the pandemic. But there are indications the rate, which was extended by six months in May, will not be extended again. Eoghan O’Mara Walsh is chief executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation. He tells Ciaran why the rate should stay and how the sector is faring.