The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) has been an ongoing critic of budgetary policy and its latest report, looking at October’s package, is no exception. This leaves the State finances increasingly exposed to any downturn, or to a rapid fall-off in corporate taxes. That this does not look likely to happen in the short term seems to have emboldened the Coalition to carry on spending. The Government is correct to plan to spend more on infrastructure, but to afford this it needs to keep day-to-day spending under control. It also needs to outline the likely impact of an ageing population on its finances.

Source: The Irish Times November 26, 2025 18:02 UTC