‘Resources boost will mean rise in spending’

Ireland will be “very rich in resources” in four years time and have much greater scope for spending in the economy, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said.

His comments came after Simon Harris, the junior finance minister, earlier said that young people will return to Ireland if personal taxation is reduced and problems with the limited housing supply are tackled.

The two ministers were speaking at the National Economic Dialogue, a two-day conference on government spending at Dublin Castle.