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The most anticipated budget has finally been delivered with miserly news from Scrooge Lenihan casting a shadow of gloom over the festive season for many householders. The harshest of cuts are once again impacting on the most vulnerable, with social welfare recipients and public service workers to bear the brunt of the €4 billion savings in expenditure.

Budget 2010 was claimed to be the toughest one ever and now that it is done and dusted, was it as bad as we were expecting? Many proposals were leaked in advance to prepare the public for what to expect, with the major emphasis on cost cutting as distinct from the usual focus on tax-raising measures. Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan announced on Wednesday evening that there would be a reduction in the rate of excise duty on alcohol, and a reduced rate on VAT. The latter is now 21 per cent down from 21.5 per cent. This is what some of the local business people who will be affected by this change had to say: