Ireland’s budget deficit highest in EU

Ireland had the biggest fiscal deficit in the European Union last year – larger than both Greece and the UK - according to revised figures published on the 22 April 2010 by Eurostat, the European Commission’s official statistics office.

Eurostat: Press Release, No.55, 2010: Provision of deficit and debt data for 2009 - first notification Euro area and EU27 government deficit at 6.3% and 6.8% of GDP respectively Government debt at 78.7% and 73.6% http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=STAT/10/55&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Irish Times, 22.4.10: Ireland records biggest deficit in euro zone http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland-records-biggest-deficit-in-euro-zone-1.856736

Ireland: Department of Finance: Press Release, 22.4.10: Information note on Ireland’s reported 2009 General Government Deficit http://www.finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=6287&CatID=1&StartDate=1+January+2010&m=n

---