The Department of Finance published the Draft Budgetary Plan 2026 (DBP) last week which is required to be submitted to the European Commission and the Eurogroup by mid-October, in line with EU Regulation (EU) 473/2013 of the European Parliament and Council. The DBP is consistent with Budget 2026, which was presented on the 7 October 2025.
The DBP notes that a general government surplus of 1.6 percent of GDP is expected for this year and a general government surplus of 0.8 percent of GDP is projected for next year. The debt-to-GDP ratio is forecast at 33.0 percent of GDP at the end of this year. The ratio is projected to fall to 32.4 percent of GDP next year, partly reflecting the impact of strong nominal GDP growth.
The projections reflect the macroeconomic impact of policy measures introduced in Budget 2026, and the macroeconomic forecasts upon which the Budget is based have been endorsed by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council.