Dept of Finance: Budget still being drafted

Inquiries are underway at the Department of Finance about how details of the upcoming Budget were apparently given to German politicians.

The Budget committee in the German parliament has been given a document which says the top rate of VAT in Ireland will be raised by 2% in next month's Budget.

The Department of Finance is adamant that the Budget is still being drafted.

It is understood that many of the measures were already in the public domain as they were contained within the updated Memorandum of Understanding with the Troika.

Opposition parties want an urgent statement from the minister for Finance.