Paschal Donohoe urged to stick to €1.7bn budget plan

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will be safe from potential EU spending breaches if he sticks to an early summer plan for a package of €1.7bn in tax and spending measures in his first budget next month, according to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, writes Eamon Quinn.

In its pre-budget statement, the watchdog repeated its warning that Mr Donohoe has less room than may appear due to the carryover costs of spending commitments the Government made in earlier years.