Bailouts of up to €1.6bn expected to be announced today

The Government has to begin announcing bailouts across departments today expected to total as much as €1.6bn.

The three biggest supplementary estimates, for Health, Social Protection and Environment, will not be announced for another two weeks.

Today €470m will be provided; the Department of Education will get an extra €175m, Transport will get an extra €100m and there is €35m for Gardaí.

Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin told the Dáil that they had extra money to boost services as more taxes are being taken in: “It is absolutely prudent to keep a tight focus on reducing the deficit to 2.1%,

“But at the same time, to respond to pressures in our economy, to provide decent funding levels, to health and other areas, education and so on that I think the Deputy would demand in normal circumstances.”