Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
85. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation his views on the rate of expenditure growth this time last year; the way in which this compares to the Medium Term Fiscal and Structural Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10785/26]
View answerIreland’s Medium-Term Structural and Fiscal Plan (MTP), published in December 2025 and submitted to the European Commission last month, sets out Ireland’s fiscal strategy for the period to 2030. The plan sets out Ireland’s net expenditure path and gross voted expenditure ceilings to 2030.
Total voted expenditure is projected to increase at an average rate of 6 per cent per annum over the 2026-2030 period, increasing from €117.8 billion in 2026 to €147.3 billion in 2030. In the nearer term, the MTP provides for an increase in gross voted expenditure of €7.9 billion or 7.2 per cent in 2026 compared to 2025.
The latest published figures for 2026 expenditure are the January Exchequer Issues. These were published in the Fiscal Monitor on February 6th and are available at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-finance/collections/fiscal-monitors-2026/. This reports January 2026 expenditure against the same period in 2025. Total gross expenditure amounted to €9.7 billion in the month of January 2026. This represents an annual increase of €0.5 billion or 5.1 per cent.
My department engages regularly with other departments to assess expenditure trends and review the sustainability of their spending plans throughout the year.
