The Government needs to “make choices” between increasing investment, increasing day-to-day spending and cutting taxes to protect the economy, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) will warn tomorrow. Spending increases will be weighted towards capital expenditure, with investment under the National Development Plan set to average 5% of national income over the rest of the decade. They will say net spending is planned to grow at an average rate of 7.1% between 2025 and 2030. “The planned pace of spending growth is faster than Ireland has implemented historically.”The budget watchdogs will also say spending increases will be “almost double the average of other EU countries”. It means that the Government needs to make choices between increasing investment, increasing day-to-day spending and cutting taxes.

Source: Irish Examiner January 26, 2026 18:22 UTC