Irish Government Defends Budget 2027 Amid Warnings Over Corporation Tax Reliance
publishers 15articles 56first reported 4 Oct, 08:17 UTCdeveloping since 5 Oct · 26 editions
Ireland’s Government has defended Budget 2027 after the State’s fiscal watchdog warned that the spending plan leaves the public finances more exposed to volatile corporation tax receipts.
The budget provides for €125.6 billion in public spending next year and includes an €8.5 billion package of tax and spending measures. Changes include a higher threshold for entering the top income-tax band, increased pension and fuel-allowance payments, a larger rent tax credit and an increase in the maximum Help to Buy relief for newly built homes from €30,000 to €35,000.
The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council accused the coalition of playing “fast and loose” with the public finances. Department of Finance figures categorise €23 billion of expected corporation tax receipts as transient. Excluding those receipts, a projected €9 billion surplus becomes an underlying deficit of €13.4 billion next year, according to RTÉ. That underlying deficit is forecast to reach €20 billion by 2029. The council said three companies account for almost half of corporation tax revenue and criticised the use of high-risk receipts to fund permanent measures.
Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said the Government had tried to balance competing demands while investing in services and measures intended to provide longer-term benefits. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the budget should be viewed as one of five planned during the coalition’s term.
Opposition parties criticised the package as inadequate, citing rising living costs and unfulfilled proposals, including a €100 culture card for 16-year-olds.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 6 with the publisher's own text; 3 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 66 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- Source articles
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- Given to the writer
- 8, 6 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
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- This version written
- 66 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
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