By David McKittrick, Ireland correspondent The Republic of Ireland is braced for a budget which is predicted to be the harshest for more than a decade as its government struggles to increase the stability of its economic system. Finance minister Brian Lenihan is expected to announce in the Irish parliament today both increased taxes and spending cuts in a budget which will mark the ending of the "Celtic Tiger" period. The new mood of parsimony has led to the leader of the opposition voluntarily taking a cut in his official salary, leading to speculation that ministers may follow suit. The period which took Ireland to unprecedented levels of prosperity is now wistfully regarded as a thing of the past, with the Republic now facing into years of difficulties. Its problems include a collapse of confidence in the banking system,...
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