Public finances
Finance Group
Advises the Minister for Finance on tax, the public finances and financial-services policy.
About this department
Ask Dex about thisThe Department of Finance prepares the Fiscal Monitor, which reports the Exchequer’s monthly cash position. Its Estimates group also includes the Votes of bodies with their own governance, such as the Revenue Commissioners, the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Tax Appeals Commission.
Simon Harris
Tánaiste and Minister for Finance
Appointments are dated records and are rechecked after changes in government.
Examined by: Comptroller and Auditor General (Audit), Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Scrutiny), Finance Committee (Scrutiny)
Spending so far, to end-September 2026
| Measure | Reported, year to date | Profile | Against profile | Annual estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross · Total | €528m | €546m | €18m below profile (3.3%) | €758m |
| Gross · Current | €517m | €532m | €15m below profile (2.8%) | €734m |
| Gross · Capital | €11m | €13m | €2m below profile (15.4%) | €24m |
| Net · Total | €471m | €492m | €21m below profile (4.3%) | €685m |
| Net · Current | €461m | €479m | €18m below profile (3.8%) | €662m |
| Net · Capital | €10m | €13m | €3m below profile (23.1%) | €23m |
Below profile can reflect timing or delayed delivery, not efficiency. The “share of estimate” is how much of the annual estimate has been reported so far, not a forecast of the year. DáilDex calculates each difference from the published figures, which are rounded to €1 million, so it can differ by €1 million from the Department’s own variance column.
Cost of running this department and the bodies in its Votes
These are the Votes in this department’s group. They pay for the department itself and for bodies funded through it, which do not all have the same governance relationship with the Minister.
| Vote | Current | Capital | Gross | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €461m | €28m | €489m | €432m | |
| €36m | €0m | €36m | €35m | |
| €15m | — | €15m | €6m | |
| €3m | — | €3m | €3m |
| Programme | Current | Capital | Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| A - Audit and Reporting | €15m | — | €15m |
The national finances are a separate matter
What it costs to run a department is not the same as the national finances it helps manage. The Exchequer’s receipts, spending and balance are on the overview page.
Over time
| Year | Status | Gross | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Approved allocation | €758m | 4 |
| 2025 | Provisional outturn | €696m | 4 |
| 2024 | Provisional outturn | €646m | 4 |
| 2023 | Provisional outturn | €646m | 4 |
| 2022 | Provisional outturn | €551m | 4 |
| 2021 | Provisional outturn | €542m | 4 |
| 2020 | Provisional outturn | €521m | 4 |
| 2019 | Provisional outturn | €525m | 4 |
| 2018 | Provisional outturn | €475m | 4 |
| 2017 | Provisional outturn | €458m | 4 |
| 2016 | Provisional outturn | €441m | 4 |
| 2015 | Provisional outturn | €440m | 4 |