Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2018
133. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance the impact of the issue the financial contractual obligations to consultants being honoured operating under the 2008 consultants' contract will have in budget 2019; and if these moneys are factored into the base when calculating available fiscal space. [37171/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that the settlement results in a payment of €31 million in relation to 2018 and an annual ongoing cost of €62 million from 1 January 2019.
Therefore the incremental cost in 2019 is the increase of €31 million, €62 million minus €31 million, in 2019 over 2018.
There is no effect thereafter as it will be in the expenditure base.
As I stated in the Summer Economic Statement, as the economy approaches full employment fiscal space is increasingly an inappropriate concept. The Government will instead focus on maintaining a sensible fiscal stance to ensure steady and sustainable improvements in living standards.
