Published: 10:01AM GMT 09 Dec 2009  Sinn Fein TD Aengus O'Snodaigh and Curtis Tysom deliver a giant Christmas card designed by the 12 year old to the Irish finance minister in an attempt to get him to restore the Christmas social welfare bonus payment in the Budget.  The massive €4bn (£3.6bn) cost-cutting package designed to steady the country's perilous finances is expected to slash social welfare, including unemployment and child benefit payments.  Swingeing cuts to public sector pay as well as health and education spending will also spark controversy.  In an attempt to cushion the country from the hard-hitting measures, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan is expected to reduce the price of a pint and introduce a car scrappage scheme.  The Government has been under pressure to cut excise duty on alcohol to counter a mass exodus of shoppers from the Republic into Northern Ireland for cheaper beer, wine and spirits.  Car industry representatives have also been lobbying hard to reverse the collapse in sales since the start of the recession.  Hundreds of thousands of public and civil servants are expecting pay cuts ranging between around 4pc on the lowest wages and as much as 20pc for the top-earning elite. The move is similar to those the British Chancellor plans in his pre-Budget report today.  The exact details of the salary reductions will be pored over by public sector unions who have threatened long and sustained industrial action after last week's talks failed.  The Government has already signalled it will not make too many changes to taxes, apart from the introduction of a carbon tax expected to raise the price of petrol, coal and peat briquettes.  Yesterday Transport Minister Noel Dempsey reiterated the Government mantra of recent weeks and months that no-one would escape unscathed from the cutbacks.  "Everybody has to take a hit," he said. "It's a tough Budget, it's going to be difficult. We have tried to be as fair as we possibly can to everybody but I think, a bit like last year, it's those who can afford most will pay most."
Ireland was bracing itself today as Cabinet ministers met to sign off on what    is feared will be the toughest Budget in living memory.