THE long awaited report of 'An Bord Snip Nua' is expected to be published before the cabinet go on their summer break at the end of the month, according to informed sources.

The report of the Expenditure Review Committee, as it is officially called, is expected to be delivered to finance minister Brian Lenihan by economist and chair of the body Colm McCarthy before the end of this week.

Although there is some reluctance at the cabinet table, a vigorous debate is taking place between government ministers on the issue and it now looks like the report will be published.

The minister for foreign affairs, Micheál Martin, is believed to be among those opposed to publication of the report as it will be unpalatable for the electorate ahead of the second Lisbon referendum in early October. But there is also a view within cabinet that if they do not publish it soon the media speculation over what is in the report will have an even more negative effect.

There is a view that revealing the contents of the work carried out by McCarthy's group will 'prepare people for the worst' ahead of what is set to be one of the harshest budgets in the history of the state in the autumn.

By publishing the An Bord Snip Nua report, as it has become known, this month, there is also a belief that it will 'soften the blow' to the public of the unpalatable medicine the report on the
Commission on Taxation will recommend.

A Department of Finance spokesman confirmed to the Sunday Tribune that the
commission was due to report in August. Established in
February 2008, the 16-member commission was set up to review "the structure, efficiency and appropriateness of the Irish taxation system".

Among the recommendations that are expected to be in that body's report is a second property tax, so publishing the Bord Snip Nua report could soften this blow.

A source close to the
government said: "There is a growing feeling within the cabinet that by publishing the report sooner it could help the Lisbon campaign as it will show the government being up-front and it will avoid a shadow debate all summer over an unpublished report."

Despite much speculation in the corridors of Leinster House that the report has recommended major cuts to the overseas development aid budget, the Sunday Tribune understands that the budget will escape a heavy cut.

The aid budget was cut by €45m in July 2008, by another €15m in October 2008 and by a further €95m last February. The April 'mini-budget' slashed another €100m off the aid budget but it does seem safe from the Bord Snip Nua cuts.

Social welfare cutbacks totalling €1.5bn and proposals to cut rural garda stations, reduce the number of people working in the public sector and row back on decentralisation projects are expected to be contained in the report.