Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has announced additional spending of €1bn above the figures published on Budget Day.
The extra expenditure contained in the supplementary estimates relates to the Departments of Housing, Social Protection and Education for 2024.
The measures were agreed at a Cabinet meeting today.
Other additional spending had been announced earlier.
In total all of the supplementary estimates add €6.3bn to net spending.
At a press conference Minister Donohoe denied that the timing of the Cabinet’s agreement to the additional spending was linked to the general election.
“We have to move things on to ensure the Government departments have the funding they need for later on in the year,” he added.
Minister Donnelly said he would have more supplementary estimates later this year.
Regarding the protest by the hospitality sector which is lobbying the Government to reduce the VAT rates to 9% today, Minister Donohoe said “it would be a really significant permanent ongoing cost…between €600m to €800m”.
Article Source – Extra €1bn spend above Budget figures announced by Government – RTE
