My Department produces a full set of economic and fiscal forecasts twice a year, in the Stability Programme Update in the spring and again in the Budget in October.
As the Deputy will be aware, the unprecedented economic situation of the last six months has meant that the outlook for this year has been subject to exceptional uncertainty. My officials are currently undertaking work on a set of updated economic and fiscal forecasts as part of the preparations for Budget 2021. This will include the projected deficit outturn for 2020, taking into account all revenue and expenditure developments to date.
The ‘white paper’, the estimates of receipts and expenditure for this year and next in a no policy change scenario, will be published prior to Budget 2021, on Friday, October 9th.