The Spending Spree Standoff: IFAC Fires Pre-Budget Warning as Coalition Eyes €8.5bn Splurge

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council dropped its annual pre-Budget broadside yesterday, warning that the government's planned €8.5 billion package for 2027 — including €1.5bn in tax cuts — risks overheating an economy that doesn't need stimulus. IFAC's acting chief economist Niall Conroy was blunt: a 6% spending increase outpaces the sustainable growth rate of roughly 5%, and "there isn't a very compelling case" for such largesse when employment and wages are...