FG: Budget surplus must go to National Debt

Fine Gael has called on the Government to use the unexpected tax revenue boost, to pay off the National Debt.

The party's Finance spokesperson Richard Bruton has said this would prevent them frittering away this year’s €272m surplus so far.

Deputy Bruton has said if they pay off the debt, "that way everyone wins, we won’t be paying interest on it for now and evermore. Even future generations will benefit from the use of this money.

"This is one-off money, it is coming from people who didn’t pay their taxes. It won’t be there next year so we have to use it in a way that has long tem benefit.

"The best way to do it isn’t to spend it on favourite projects for election purposes."