Government urged to introduce multi-year funding allocations to departments

Irish Fiscal Advisory Council chairman Seamus Coffey has hit out at the current system of single-year budgets

Seamus Coffey: 'A big improvement would be to move away from single-year budgets.' File picture: Sam boal/Rollingnews.ie

The State's financial watchdog has urged the Government to end annual budget battles by introducing multi-year funding allocations to departments.

Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) chairman Seamus Coffey has hit out at the current system of single-year budgets and suggested departments that overspend one year should have that amount taken out of their allocation for the following year.