Budget should focus on infrastructure and tax measures, says Central Bank governor

It comes amid growing global economic uncertainty which could hurt Ireland

Central Bank of Ireland governor, Gabriel Makhlouf, has previously warned that housing and infrastructure shortages will have a negative effect on the country’s competitiveness and addressing these matters should be considered a high priority. Photo: Eamonn Farrell / © RollingNews.ie

Given the global economic uncertainty, the governor of the Central Bank of Ireland has called on the Government to focus on what it can control by investing in infrastructure, broadening the tax base, and installing a "credible fiscal anchor” to guard against repeating past mistakes.

In his annual pre-budget letter to the finance minister Central Bank governor Gabriel Makhlouf said as a small open economy that has a heavy reliance on trade, Ireland is “exposed to the fall-out from changing geo-economic relationships and priorities”.