Public budgets

Ireland: public budget

What Ireland's government raised and what it spent it on, from the figures its own budget laws or a statistics office publish. Solon places every figure on the same international classification, so it can be compared with any other place.

General government, 2004

Outturn: what came in and was spent

General government: central, state and local government and social security funds together, consolidated so that money passed between them is counted once, as Eurostat's government finance statistics (ESA 2010) count it.

Amounts in USD, converted from EUR at 2004's average rate (Eurostat).

Revenue
$66.32B · 34.1% of GDP
Spending
$63.8B · 32.8% of GDP
Surplus (+) or deficit (−)
$2.52B · 1.3% of GDP

What the money is spent on

Ireland, 2004: spending by function, as a share of all spending
Ireland, 2004: spending by function, as a share of all spending
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Social protection33.4$21.28B
Health19.5$12.45B
Education12.5$7.98B
General public services11.3$7.21B
Economic affairs10$6.38B
Public order and safety4.4$2.81B
Housing and community amenities3.1$2B
Environmental protection2.7$1.72B
Recreation, culture and religion1.7$1.11B
Defence1.3$855.31M
Social protection$21.28B
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
Social protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Old age45.4$9.66B
Sickness and disability13.4$2.84B
Unemployment10.2$2.17B
Survivors8.9$1.89B
Family and children8.6$1.82B
Housing7.3$1.56B
Social exclusion n.e.c.5.1$1.09B
Social protection n.e.c.1.2$248.28M
R&D Social protection0$373.17K
Health$12.45B
Health, in detail, as a share of it
Health, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Outpatient services40.9$5.09B
Hospital services39.3$4.89B
Medical products, appliances and equipment8.4$1.04B
Public health services6.4$795.35M
Health n.e.c.4.4$549.8M
R&D Health0.6$80.73M
Education$7.98B
Education, in detail, as a share of it
Education, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Secondary education40.3$3.22B
Pre-primary and primary education35.8$2.86B
Tertiary education17.9$1.42B
Post-secondary non-tertiary education2.1$164.19M
Education not definable by level2$162.58M
Education n.e.c.1.4$109.34M
Subsidiary services to education0.5$37.19M
R&D Education0.1$9.95M
General public services$7.21B
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
General public services, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Executive and legislative organs, financial and fiscal affairs, external affairs47.6$3.43B
Public debt transactions30.5$2.2B
General services9$650.56M
Foreign economic aid7.4$535.5M
Basic research5.4$390.09M
General public services n.e.c.0.1$9.83M
R&D General public services0$0
Transfers of a general character between different levels of government0$0
Economic affairs$6.38B
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
Economic affairs, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Transport54.7$3.49B
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting15.7$1B
General economic, commercial and labour affairs9.2$587.62M
R&D Economic affairs7.3$468.33M
Other industries4.5$284.11M
Fuel and energy3.3$209.72M
Economic affairs n.e.c.2.6$167.18M
Mining, manufacturing and construction2$129.37M
Communication0.7$43.91M
Public order and safety$2.81B
Public order and safety, in detail, as a share of it
Public order and safety, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Police services57.2$1.61B
Law courts15.6$438.72M
Prisons12.4$350.16M
Fire-protection services11.7$329.26M
Public order and safety n.e.c.3.1$87.57M
R&D Public order and safety0$0
Housing and community amenities$2B
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
Housing and community amenities, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Housing development57.7$1.15B
Water supply26.4$527.54M
Community development15.1$302.02M
Housing and community amenities n.e.c.0.8$15.8M
Street lighting0$0
R&D Housing and community amenities0$0
Environmental protection$1.72B
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
Environmental protection, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Waste water management73.1$1.25B
Protection of biodiversity and landscape16.1$275.77M
Pollution abatement7.2$124.02M
Environmental protection n.e.c.1.7$28.61M
Waste management1.5$25.13M
R&D Environmental protection0.5$9.08M
Recreation, culture and religion$1.11B
Recreation, culture and religion, in detail, as a share of it
Recreation, culture and religion, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Cultural services58.3$648.82M
Recreational and sporting services30$333.24M
Religious and other community services5$55.48M
Broadcasting and publishing services4.6$51.5M
Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.2.1$23.39M
R&D Recreation, culture and religion0$0
Defence$855.31M
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
Defence, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Military defence74.2$634.39M
Foreign military aid19$162.2M
Defence n.e.c.6.9$58.71M
Civil defence0$0
R&D Defence0$0

Where the money comes from

Ireland, 2004: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
Ireland, 2004: revenue by kind, as a share of all revenue
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income and wealth37.8$25.08B
Taxes on sales, production and imports36.9$24.5B
Social contributions15.1$10.01B
Sales, fees and charges4.7$3.12B
Capital transfers and taxes received3.4$2.28B
Income from property (interest, dividends, rent)1.5$976.83M
Other transfers received0.5$353.14M
Subsidies received0$0
Taxes on income and wealth$25.08B
Taxes on income and wealth, in detail, as a share of it
Taxes on income and wealth, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Taxes on income97.2$24.38B
Other taxes on wealth and income2.8$703.43M
Taxes on sales, production and imports$24.5B
Taxes on sales, production and imports, in detail, as a share of it
Taxes on sales, production and imports, in detail, as a share of it
RowValue (%)ShareNote
Value added tax55.8$13.67B
Not broken down, or fitting no category44.2$10.83B

Over the years

38.3 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99538.4 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99637.5 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99736.3 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99836 % of GDPRevenue · 1,99935.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00033.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00132.4 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00233 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00334.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00434.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00536.4 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00636 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00734.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00833 % of GDPRevenue · 2,00932.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01033.4 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01133.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01233.6 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01333.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01426.1 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01526.7 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01625 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01724.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01824.3 % of GDPRevenue · 2,01921.9 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02022.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02122.2 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02223.8 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02326.5 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02424 % of GDPRevenue · 2,02540.4 % of GDPSpending · 1,99538.6 % of GDPSpending · 1,99636.1 % of GDPSpending · 1,99734.2 % of GDPSpending · 1,99832.5 % of GDPSpending · 1,99930.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,00032.2 % of GDPSpending · 2,00132.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,00232.7 % of GDPSpending · 2,00332.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,00433 % of GDPSpending · 2,00533.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,00635.7 % of GDPSpending · 2,00741.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,00846.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,00965 % of GDPSpending · 2,01046.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01142.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,01239.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01336.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,01428.1 % of GDPSpending · 2,01527.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,01625.3 % of GDPSpending · 2,01724.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,01823.9 % of GDPSpending · 2,01926.8 % of GDPSpending · 2,02023.5 % of GDPSpending · 2,02120.6 % of GDPSpending · 2,02222.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,02322.4 % of GDPSpending · 2,024
Ireland: revenue and spending, 1995–2025
Ireland: revenue and spending, 1995–2025
PeriodRevenue (% of GDP)Spending (% of GDP)
1,99538.340.4
1,99638.438.6
1,99737.536.1
1,99836.334.2
1,9993632.5
2,00035.530.6
2,00133.232.2
2,00232.432.9
2,0033332.7
2,00434.132.8
2,00534.633
2,00636.433.6
2,0073635.7
2,00834.641.6
2,0093346.9
2,01032.865
2,01133.446.9
2,01233.942.3
2,01333.639.9
2,01433.136.6
2,01526.128.1
2,01626.727.5
2,0172525.3
2,01824.924.8
2,01924.323.9
2,02021.926.8
2,02122.223.5
2,02222.220.6
2,02323.822.4
2,02426.522.4
2,02524
Where these figures come from

Series read from Eurostat, government finance statistics (gov_10a_main, gov_10a_exp) on 2026-11-11.

Change it

Think this money should be raised or spent differently? Draft it as a proposal: a proposal is evidence of support, handed to whoever decides, never law.

Propose a change to this budgetCompare one function across countries →