Businesses welcomed the retention of tax relief incentive schemes and tax credits for research and development.

Mary Harney stated that it's about "helping us become a more knowledge based economy".

Turlough O'Sullivan welcomed moves to control inflation and public expenditure. However, David Beggs of the ICTU felt that more could have been done to get low income earners out of the tax net.

A RTÉ News report by Ingrid Miley from 3 December 2003 on Budget 2004 and the reaction from the social partners.

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