A lot of “anger and frustration” has built up among Ministers towards Jack Chambers during budget negotiations, a journalist in Leinster House.
With just days to go before Budget 2027 is presented to Dáil Éireann, the final t’s are being crossed and i’s dotted by the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure.
However, not all Ministers have got everything they want and many are exasperated by the reticence of Minister Chambers to say yes to every spending request.
“As ministers, it dawns on them sometimes that they're not actually getting a lot of what was on their wish list and sometimes a lot of what they've leaked to the media,” Elaine Loughlin of the Irish Examiner told The Claire Byrne Show.
“There have been a few tense meetings in recent days, and there will be more meetings today.
“But one of those meetings was with Patrick O'Donovan, the Minister of Sport and Arts Minister, with Jack Chambers, the Public Expenditure Minister.
“[He] really wants to hold a tight grip of the purse strings this year and is asking for savings before ministers are perhaps even given additional finances or even the same level, in some instances we're hearing, of allocations as they've got in previous years.”
Patrick O'Donovan. Picture by: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie. Ms Loughlin continued that it is understood that Minister O’Donovan “wasn’t happy” after leaving his meeting and was bluntly told that many of his ideas would not be funded.
“Including a rather eye-catching measure, I think, that was floated around a week ago around this €100 credit that would be given to 16 year olds to spend on cultural events, such as going to the cinema or theatre,” Ms Loughlin said.
“That seems to be off the table now [with] Jack Chambers remaining adamant that people have to be very, very careful about the amount that they're spending.”
Minister O’Donovan is not the only member of the Cabinet who feel their proposals have been unfairly rejected at a time when the Government has more money than ever before.
As a result, Ms Loughlin said there is a “lot of anger and frustration” across the board.
“Also from other ministers who were going in and really having a tough time arguing their case,” she said.
“I think even in Higher Education, there is an indication that the funding for measures within higher education, such as apprenticeships, may not be there.
“That actually might even jeopardise the promises that are in the Programme for Government.”
Budget 2027 will be presented to Dáil Éireann on 6th October.
Main image: Jack Chambers. Picture by: PA Archive/PA Images.
