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Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe speaking during a press conference at Government Buildings. PA Images

'The costs of borrowing are real': Finance Minister says €30 billion deficit will have to be balanced

Paschal Donohoe said the country will need to find a way to run a budgetary surplus once more.

MINISTER FOR FINANCE Paschal Donohoe has said that the huge budgetary deficit the country is incurring as a result of the Covid-19 crisis will have to be addressed in the future.

Donohoe said that two weeks ago he put the expected deficit figure for the year at €23.5 billion but that he also expected that to grow as the crisis developed. Several projections have now put the figure at closer to €30 billion.

“Two weeks ago, I said that on the basis of decisions that were made, the figure would be and was €23.5 billion,” the minister told Newstalk Breakfast

But in the same statement that I made. I said that in the basis of decisions that I expect we would be making in the coming weeks and on the basis of bills that are now coming in because of public health decisions that have to be made. I did indicate with you a few weeks ago that I did expect that it will grow considerably behind beyond that, and that is happening at the moment. 

Donohoe added that the issue of borrowing has become “a really big debate” this week but said that there is no argument about whether borrowings need to be repaid.

The costs of borrowing are real and one of the issues that both the Taoiseach and I have looked to address over the last number of days, is just to make the case, is that in the run in to this crisis we reduced our borrowing, we got to a point that we were actually in a budget surplus.

“That in turn has enabled us to do what we can do now. And over time, as we are successful I believe in containing this terrible disease. We will have to do that again,” Donohoe added. 

The Finance Minister said last week that the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) will continue beyond its original end date but that the level of the payment may change.

Speaking in a separate interview on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Donohoe said that the details of this have not yet been decided.

“The government hasn’t made the decision in relation to that yet, but of course we know we will need to do that soon. When we make that decision, we will communicate quickly that decision to all who are depending on it,” he said.

“I would very briefly say that the level of intervention that we now have, where we have well over a million of our citizens having their income sustained by the state is enabled by the great care we’ve taken in our public finances in recent years,” he added.

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    Mute Gearóid Collins
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    May 5th 2016, 8:39 PM

    Love this..the mad Bast*rd :)… Fair play and good luck to him!

    694
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    Mute Tony Canning
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    May 5th 2016, 9:39 PM

    Couldn’t agree more. Taking g a chance has also given great publicity to it all.

    204
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    Mute jenni
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    May 5th 2016, 8:39 PM

    Heard this guy talking to Anton a few weeks ago when he was trying to get some black cabs out of London. He sounds like serious craic. Hope it all works out for him. I’d go for the storytelling this man does..hilarious.

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    Mute jane
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    May 5th 2016, 8:49 PM

    His enthusiasm is great. He’s got real drive. I hope it goes really well for him.

    213
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    Mute Kevin Maughan
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    May 6th 2016, 9:28 AM

    The cabs arrived last week! A double decker bus came two days ago.

    33
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    Mute Padraig
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    May 5th 2016, 8:57 PM

    There’ll be loads of couples heading to Sligo to join the mile high club.

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    Mute Shaun Hogan
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    May 5th 2016, 9:01 PM

    The turbulence will be pretty bad I’d say too

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    Mute Colm Flaherty
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    May 6th 2016, 4:42 AM

    When the plane’s a-rockin’…….

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    Mute damian
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    May 6th 2016, 7:40 AM

    Pity it wasn’t a Boeing 7-69!!!!!

    I’ll get my coat…. and Av geeks, I know that a 769 doesn’t exist

    21
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    Mute Peter Fechter
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    May 5th 2016, 10:36 PM

    If he could only get his hands on a couple of unattended Luas carriages…

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    Mute Free comment ratings
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    May 5th 2016, 9:16 PM

    He should call it AIR B and B.

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    Mute Niall Martin
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    May 5th 2016, 8:56 PM

    Looks like plane sailing from here.

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    Mute dominick mitchell
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    May 5th 2016, 8:47 PM

    There will be plenty of people flying in that aircraft this summer ☺

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    Mute Alan Rothwell
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    May 5th 2016, 9:45 PM

    Maybe not THIS summer. Won’t be ready by then.

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    Mute Michael Kavanagh
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    May 5th 2016, 10:38 PM

    The mile low club surely …… it’ll be on the ground! Mind ye, they should put this guy in charge of the modular housing!

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    Mute James Onedin
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    May 5th 2016, 10:40 PM

    Good for him, this is deadly!

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    Mute Jackson Bollovks
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    May 5th 2016, 9:16 PM

    Sleep in a scrapyard in Sligo for €200 a night

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    Mute jenni
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    May 5th 2016, 9:20 PM

    Yep.

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    May 6th 2016, 12:33 AM

    Is that the same jet in which Boris Yeltsin toured Ireland, all those years ago, searching for a hangover cure before his audience at Shannon with then Taoiseach, the late Albert Reynolds?

    Good luck to Mr McGowan with his new Undertaking.

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    Mute Sean @114
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    May 5th 2016, 11:40 PM

    Great idea. Hope it works out for him.

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    Mute Owen Kennedy
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    May 5th 2016, 11:30 PM

    Flying without wings

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    Mute Marshall Appleshyte
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    May 5th 2016, 8:46 PM

    Even on the ground a Russian airliner is a no go area for me

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    Mute Stoneacre Studios
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    May 6th 2016, 7:06 AM

    Good on ya David…such a big ‘undertaking’! Hope it ‘lands safely’ in Enniscrone and that @quirkyglamping ‘takes off’!

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    Mute Strong silent type
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    May 6th 2016, 6:07 AM

    Now that’s what you call plane sailing.

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    Mute Strong silent type
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    May 6th 2016, 6:10 AM

    Sh it! Just noticed that’s in the headline…

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    Mute Jimmy Duffy PBP
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    May 6th 2016, 9:29 AM

    Brilliant

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    Mute Helena Reed
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