Ireland Races to Pass Budget as Government Collapses
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Irish political leaders said they’ll press to pass a budget before elections as the collapse of Prime Minister Brian Cowen’s coalition threw the government into disarray.
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan will meet at 4 p.m. today with lawmakers from the Green Party, which withdrew from the coalition yesterday, and opposition parties in Dublin to discuss a timetable for passing the Finance Bill. The plan would enact 6 billion euros ($8.2 billion) of tax increases and spending cuts.