Minister for Finance, Ray MacSharry, delivered a tough budget where fiscal rectitude was the phrase of the day.
The budget targeted the public service, imposing a pay freeze and an embargo on recruitment. It put an end to a number of housing grants, and travellers who left the country for less than 48 hours were no longer entitled to duty-free goods. A £10 charge for hospital outpatients was also introduced.
Ray MacSharry answers listeners who feel that the budget has been very hard on the PAYE sector, assuring them that he is a PAYE worker himself.
