Budget 2018 is almost here. Yes, it may have been ushered in with more of a whisper than a roar, but when Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe takes to his feet at lunchtime on Tuesday to announce his first budget, the country will be listening. But what will it all mean for people?
Join us here for the latest news, reaction and analysis before, during and after the budget. In the meantime, you can catch up with all the budget news and views on our special Budget 2018 site, including extensive details of what we can expect in the Minister's speech, and how it is likely to affect your pocket.
Here is how our budget day coverage will unfold:
10am: Join the Irish Times budget team and our in-house experts for the budget live blog, which will bring you the build-up to the Minister's speech, keep you up to speed on the news as it breaks, the details of the new measures, initial reaction, and the best of social media comment. During the live blog our politics team will also provide instant analysis of the measures as they are announced.
1pm: Paschal Donohoe takes to his feet for his budget speech. There will be just the one speech this year, thanks to the merger of the finance and public expenditure roles. As well as the live blog, we will bring you a rolling summary of the main points and highlights as they emerge.
After the speech: Our budget calculator, in association with PwC, will tell you what it means for your pocket. Plus, we will have quick analysis from our political, business and news teams, including columnists Cliff Taylor, Miriam Lord and Chris Johns, and all the details of what the changes will mean for you.
Video: We will have a special video interview with Paschal Donohoe, plus analysis from our political staff. And our Facebook Live broadcast with Cliff Taylor, Pat Leahy and Conor Pope will be broadcast shortly after the speech is over.
Podcasts: Business editor Ciarán Hancock will host a special edition of the Inside Business podcast, available for download after 6pm. He will be joined in studio by Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times and economist Marian Finnegan of Sherry FitzGerald to discuss what Budget 2018 means for the consumer, the economy and industry. Hugh Linehan and the politics team will discuss how the Minister performed, in a special Inside Politics podcast.
Ask the Experts Q&A: Our online Q&A will be open from mid-afternoon for you to submit your questions. A team from The Irish Times and PwC will answer the questions online from 7am on Wednesday morning.
Alerts: Throughout the day we will have up-to-the-minute budget news alerts. Sign up for push notifications by downloading our app from the Play Store or from iTunes ; If you wish to receive email alerts from our Business desk, sign up here.
Special Budget 2018 supplement: Published on Wednesday morning, The Irish Times 16-page Budget 2018 supplement will spell out exactly what the budget means for your pocket and that of your family and friends, with reaction from individuals and businesses all around the country.
What will Paschal Donohoe’s changes mean for generations of Irish people? Will pensioners advance on the back of a State pension increase or will millennials stand to benefit if the help-to-buy scheme is kept in place? As the EU’s major capitals go head-to-head to win post-Brexit jobs, we take a look at how Dublin compares with the cost of living in other cities.
In Marginal Notes, Laura Slattery gives her view on what the Minister really means when he speaks. And we assess just what impact the changes announced to spending for 2018 will have on the wider economy.
