Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 October 2025
218. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the actual and potential loss to the State from changes made to the EU Budget in February 2024 involving the reduction in the Brexit Adjustment Reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56441/25]
View answerThe EU adopted a revision to its multiannual financial framework (MFF) in February 2024. This revision was undertaken in the context of the unprecedented and unexpected challenges, being faced by the EU, from the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine to an acceleration in inflation and interest rates and challenges related to migration. The revision provided for additional funds for new initiatives such as inter alia, the creation of a Ukraine Facility and the setting-up of the strategic technologies for Europe platform (STEP). In order to fund these new initiatives, the EU budget increased by €64.6 billion.
In order to reduce the impact on national budgets of additional contributions, some €10.6 billion was reallocated from existing EU budgets, including inter alia, the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR). In this context, Ireland’s BAR allocation was reduced from €1.015 bn to €802 million. Ireland’s allocation remains the largest of any Member State, and accounts for approximately 30% of the total Reserve. The next largest beneficiaries are the Netherlands (€486m) and Germany (€354m).
