Government surplus tops €8.3bn as corporate tax receipts reach record levels 

Minister McGrath said fiscal accounts which were helped by record €23.8bn in corporate receipts gave Ireland options 'not open to many peer countries in developed world'

Welcoming the figures on Friday morning, Finance Minister Michael McGrath said the results "gives us options that are not open to many peer countries in the developed world."

A record year for corporate tax receipts has led to a government surplus of €8.3bn for 2023 with increased spending on employee compensations, cost-of-living measures and supports for Ukrainian refugees offsetting gains in revenue. 

New figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Friday show last year's surplus was 4% lower than the record €8.6bn reported for 2022, despite government revenue rising by €7.8bn last year to a total of €123.7bn in 2023.