They have lost the support of the Dail, but they want to stay on in government and try and pass a budget. All this will do is cause a crisis when the budget fails to pass. It will give the IMF and the others the shakes. Even if the budget does pass, there will have to be a new budget in 2011 when the new government gets in and that will cause more mayhem and confusion.

What is this all about?

The current lame-duck government wants to claim at the election after next in 2015 or thereabouts that they set the framework for economic recovery. They are willing to risk Ireland’s international credibility in order to have this advantage. Once again this is the politics of mé féin (every man for himself) rather than the politics of sinn féin (only we ourselves can do it).

This has nothing to do with keeping the IMF happy. Chopper and his friends are no doubt aware of the democratic tradition where new governments publish new budgets and thereby commit themselves to them. A Green/FF budget is about as much use to the IMF as a condom vending machine is to the pope.

If Fianna Fail and the Greens really think a budget is so urgently needed, they should allow Labour and FG to form a caretaker administration and support the caretaker government in passing the budget before the election. Alternatively the Dail could adopt the four-year plan without a budget and then go to the country Not perfect formulae, but workable.