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EU Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023

Tuesday, 7 November 2023

Ceisteanna (325)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

325. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Finance the annual contribution to the EU by the Exchequer in each of the past ten years, including an estimate of the contribution forecast for the whole of 2023; the income from the EU to the Exchequer in each of these years, including an estimate for this year; whether it is expected that Ireland's net contribution to the EU will increase in the coming ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48304/23]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The annual net contribution of Ireland to the EU Budget (payments) and income (receipts), from 2013 until 2021 is outlined in full in Table 1 below.

Table 2 outlines Ireland’s actual gross contribution (payment) for 2022 together with current forecasts for the gross contribution (payment) for the remaining years until the end of the current Multiannual Financial Framework period which ends in 2027.

Data on Ireland’s EU Budget receipts is published annually for the previous year in the Department of Finance Budgetary Statistics, before the end of each year.

For instance, 2022 receipt data will be published before the end of 2023. My Department is currently finalising the collation of the receipts data for 2022 and, it is not yet possible to confirm Ireland’s receipts from the EU Budget for 2022, but this information will be published by my Department before the end of the year.

My Department does not forecast EU Budget receipts due to the inherent difficulties in doing so, as receipts are contingent on a number of factors such as project implementation. That said, my Department anticipates that Ireland’s receipts for the remainder of the Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027) will be in the range of approximately €2 - 2.5 billion each year.

Table 1. EU Budget receipts and payments 2013-2021

Year

Receipts from EU Budget €m

Payments to EU Budget €m

Net Receipts €m

2013

1673

1726

-53

2014

1420

1686

-266

2015

1783

1952

-169

2016

1622

2023

-401

2017

1779

2016

-237

2018

2006

2519

-513

2019

2000

2432

-432

2020

2116

2569

-453

2021

2543

3507

-964

Table 2. EU Budget contributions - actual payment 2022 and payment forecasts 2023-2027

2022 (€m)

2023 (€m)

2024 (€m)

2025 (€m)

2026 (€m)

2027 (€m)

3557

3950

3950

4125

4325

4500

Based on my Department’s forecasts, Ireland’s contribution to the EU Budget will continue to grow over the remainder of the Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027). This is dependent on a number of factors, in particular Ireland’s economic performance which is reflected in the system of EU Budget contributions based to a considerable extent on the existing Gross National Income own resource.

In addition, a potential midterm revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027), which is currently under negotiation at EU level, would likely result in increased expenditure over the remainder of the of the current Multiannual Financial Framework and could impact on Member States' EU contributions.

Beyond 2028, agreement on the composition of the next Multiannual Financial Framework will be key to determining Member States' contributions over the next long term EU Budget cycle, which should cover a period of 5 or 6 years if following longstanding practice.

Potential future changes to the system of own resources, which fund the EU Budget, could also affect Member States' EU Budget contributions if agreed. The European Commission brought forward proposals in relation to new own resources in June and I recently set out my concerns on a proposed new own resource based on a statistical measure of Corporate Profits. On this, I would refer the Deputy to my response to a Parliamentary Question from Deputy Doherty (PQ 43392/23).

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