TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has pushed back on the suggestion that people will be worse off this year with the absence of a cost-of-living package in the Budget. Speaking to reporters in Copenhagen today, where he is attending an EU meeting, Martin argued that it is no longer feasible to continue the cost-of-living measures that were introduced post-Covid. He pointed out that real wages (wages adjusted for inflation) are rising by about 3% this year while inflation is at approximately 2%. These negotiations will continue right through the weekend and into Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s announcement. Instead, the government has stressed that it will be focusing on targeted measures for the worst off in society and on spending on larger, long-term infrastructural projects.