Plans are being drawn up to levy other parts of the Government to pay for the overspend in Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton’s department. Photograph: Sam Boal/CollinsOther Government departments will be asked to bail out the Department of Education, which is facing another large budget overspend this year. The current projected overspend in the Department of Education is estimated at €600 million to €700 million this year. Last year the Department of Education required an additional €580 million; the year before that it was €1.09 billion. The department has highly robust financial and administrative control measures in place to ensure accountability for the money allocated to it,” the department said.

Source: The Irish Times March 27, 2026 09:01 UTC