The Coalition is to set out its Summer Economic Statement on Wednesday, signposting the size – and some of the composition – of October’s budget. So as you try to keep an eye on the All-Ireland hurling final, the World Cup final, the rugby and the British Open this weekend, there will be lots of budgetary wrangling going on in Government.

It’s the first budget that will be delivered by Simon Harris as Minister for Finance. Last weekend, writing on his Substack, Harris made clear what his priority would be. There would be, he said, a “meaningful personal income-tax package”.

“Simply put,” Harris wrote, “this is my top priority as Minister for Finance.”

It has been a long time since we heard a Minister for Finance say that personal tax cuts were his highest priority. You’d have to go back to Charlie McCreevy for that.

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Not to be outdone – you’d almost think the two leaders of the Government were in competition with one other – the Taoiseach reiterated the promise in the Dáil on Wednesday.

“There will be a taxation package on income tax for families,” Micheál Martin said. He was responding to the Independent TD Michael Lowry, who had........

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