May the country kindly bend over catch their ankles and receive what is coming...

Budget 2011: Double the pain
By Aine Kerr, Fionnan Sheahan and Maeve Dineen
Tuesday October 19 2010
THE hole in the Government's finances is heading for €15bn -- double the previous worst estimate -- and that means families face four years of savage spending cuts and tax hikes.
They will face four draconian Budgets because the economy is failing to recover in line with expectations.
The revelation emerged as opposition finance spokespersons were briefed yesterday on the challenges facing the Exchequer over the next four years.
Savage cutbacks of at least €10bn are definitely on the cards up to 2014.
But Finance Minister Brian Lenihan's officials disclosed the worst-case scenario was an adjustment of €15bn as a result of lower predictions on the rate of growth in the economy.
The Government is now under intense pressure to come clean with the public on the full scale of the Exchequer crisis. The deficit reduction will not be spread evenly over the four years -- and that means the worst hit will come in December.
Rather than a €3bn package of cuts and taxes, the adjustment will certainly be as high as €4.5bn and could break the €6bn mark.
Based on the worst-case scenario of a €15bn hole in the finances, if the Government wants to get the deficit below 10pc next year, it would have to make an adjustment of anything up to €7bn.
The Department of Finance's projections indicate economic growth may be as little as half the previous estimate, with the cost of servicing the national debt also rising.
The knock-on effect will be higher spending on social welfare and greater dependency on public services.