GDP surge leads to €280m EU bill hike for Ireland

Taxpayers will have to swallow a €280m hike in contribution to the EU, due to a controversial 26% growth figure estimate published last week.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan confirmed that Ireland’s contribution to the EU budget will increase in the wake of the announcement of the “bizarre” growth figure by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Last night, Labour leader and former Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin was scathing in his criticism of the CSO, which he described as being “a law onto itself”, saying the figures should not have been published without addressing the major anomalies which caused the spike.