Government repeating past mistakes on spending, says watchdog

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council's budget assessment warns of a 'worrying pattern' in the management of the public finances in recent years

Debt burden still high, warns IFAC. Pic: Rollingnews.ie

The state’s budgetary watchdog has criticised the planned increases in spending announced in Budget 2019, and warned of a “worrying pattern” in the management of the public finances in recent years.

The comments came in the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council’sassessment of the budget, published this morning.

The council described the spending increase of €4.5 billion, net of tax measures, planned for 2019 as “substantial”, and beyond a €3.5 billion figure that it had ...