Ireland suffers harshest budget in years

Brian Lenihan, Ireland’s Finance Minister, called for sweeping cuts across the board to stabilise the shattered public finances on the 9 December 2009 as he announced the harshest budget in decades in a bid to restore Dublin’s credibility with international debt markets.

EurActiv, 11.12.09: SMEs take centre stage in tough Irish budget http://www.euractiv.com/en/enterprise-jobs/smes-take-centre-stage-tough-irish-budget/article-188226

Irish Times, 9.12.09: Lenihan says 'worst is over' as €4bn in cuts unveiled http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1209/breaking4.htm

Irish Times: Budget 2010 website http://www.irishtimes.com/indepth/budget2010/

Ireland: Department of Finance: Budget 2010 http://www.budget.gov.ie/Budgets/2010/2010.aspx

BBC News, 9.12.09: Tough 2010 Irish budget unveiled http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8402551.stm

---