O'Donoghue said Independent Ireland is going to do a full audit of the NGO services in the country.

Two double payments of child benefit, possibly before the end of the year, are on the cards for Budget 2025.

Simon Harris made the comments after Fine Gael ministers called for a tax cut of €1,000 for full-time workers earning €52,000.

The Taoiseach said his party is committed to cutting income tax as part of its effort to look after ‘middle Ireland’

Mr McGuinness told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show that such comments were part of the pre-Budget process that every political party entered into every year.

Simon Coveney denied that Minister for Finance Michael McGrath was being bullied

Varadkar further dampened hopes within the hospitality sector that the VAT rate for the sector would not increase from 9 to 13.5 per cent.