Nobody believes these fantasy targets, but as they are still ‘policy’, everyone has to pretend they are relevant

Housing incentives like Help-to-Buy, once introduced, are very hard to remove and all too often, the law of unintended consequences comes into play

The more prices get out of line, the higher the risk if there is an economic shock from AI, the tech sector, the Middle East situation or something else

There are options to lower taxes but doing so requires political decisions

The only certainty is that Ireland will continue to rely on rising corporate tax revenues to pay the bills at the end of the year

Tax Strategy Group papers show how challenging it is to deliver real gains when inflation eats away at value

Tax Strategy Paper show reliance on top earners, who pay 602 per cent of all such taxes

A limited enough package is on the table with an emphasis on broadening bands

Promises made on tackling the cost of living could be well-nigh impossible to honour

Expenditure increases limited to €7bn with €1.5bn to be set aside for tax package aimed at increasing take-home pay

But you might not want to get too excited

What we know so far about the budget and its impact on your pocket

A key test of infrastructure and housing ambitions is about to take place in the north inner city

From recruitment to employee monitoring and complaints, artificial intelligence is changing the workplace

Ireland has no credible strategy for paying the big bills coming down the track from investment, climate change and an ageing population