Watchdog concerned about Government’s ‘poor budgeting and fiscal gimmickry’

Minister for Finance Michael McGrath and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe at Leinster House in Dublin last October to unveil Budget 2024.

The country's fiscal watchdog has said that the "everything now" approach to October's budget risked Ireland repeating financial mistakes of the past.

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) said in its assessment of the budget that "big challenges lie ahead" and that the Government needed to adhere to its own spending rules. The Government opted to go above the 5% increase in core spending in October's Budget, citing high inflation.