Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2026
41. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to outline the current value of the national debt; the amount the debt has reduced in the past three years; and how much interest has been paid servicing the debt in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025. [35471/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) has informed me that the National Debt is the debt outstanding for the time being of the Exchequer. The NTMA refers to this as Gross National Debt. Net National Debt is the net debt incurred by the Exchequer after taking account of Exchequer cash and other financial assets.
Gross National Debt, Exchequer cash and other financial assets and Net National Debt at end-April 2026 and at each year-end for the years 2023 to 2025 are shown in tabular format below.
|
€bn |
Gross National Debt |
Exchequer Cash and Other Financial Assets |
Net National Debt |
|
End-April 2026 |
227.1 |
36.1 |
191.0 |
|
End-2025 |
232.2 |
46.0 |
186.2 |
|
End-2024 |
232.6 |
39.6 |
193.0 |
|
End-2023 |
234.5 |
28.9 |
205.6 |
Notes:
Rounding may impact figures. End-April 2026 and End-2025 figures are provisional and unaudited.
The NTMA publishes historic information on Debt including Gross National Debt, Exchequer Cash and Other Financial Assets on its website at the following link. https://www.ntma.ie/
At end-April 2026, Gross National Debt was €7.4bn lower than at end-2023, while Net National Debt was €14.7bn lower.
National debt service comprises both interest on the National Debt and fees and operating expenses. Interest reflects both net interest paid on Gross National Debt and net income received on Exchequer cash and other financial assets. Interest, fees and operating expenses and total debt service figures for each of the years 2023 to 2025 are shown in tabular format below.
|
€bn |
Interest |
Fees & Operating Expenses |
Total National Debt Service |
|
2025 |
3.0 |
0.2 |
3.1 |
|
2024 |
3.0 |
0.1 |
3.1 |
|
2023 |
3.2 |
0.1 |
3.3 |
Notes:
Rounding may impact figures. 2025 figures are provisional and unaudited.
