Supplementary estimates of €450m needed this year - Donohoe

Minister for Finance says he will not be putting €500m into State’s Rainy Day Fund

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said he will not be putting € 500 million into the State’s Rainy Day Fund this year, as had been planned, due to the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. File photograph: Brian Lawless/PA

Supplementary estimates of €450 million will be needed this year, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said.

It is understood the additional funds will be required for the departments of health, education and justice.

Mr Donohoe confirmed that at least some of this would be funded from higher than anticipated corporation tax receipts, as well as from underspending in the departments, in 2019.

This is significantly down on the € 1 billion of supplementary estimates at this time last year, he added.

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He also said he will not be putting € 500 million into the State's Rainy Day Fund this year, as had been planned, due to the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. However, a transfer of € 1.5 billion from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund to the Rainy Day Fund will go ahead, which would also be available for Brexit measures.

“The reason for that is if we find ourselves dealing with a no-deal Brexit next year and we are moving into a deficit in order to deal with that, if I look to make a further deposit into the rainy day fund of €500m, I’ll have to borrow to do that,” Mr Donohoe said.