The Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has claimed Ireland can well afford to pay an extra €280m to the EU given the fact there is no change in the upcoming Budget.
Mr Noonan said there is a liability on Ireland to pay an extra €280m to the European budget, as part of the country’s national contribution.
Although he did state there are still some “moving parts” which could see the final figure more or less than it currently stands.
Mr Noonan told RTE that the country can well afford to pay the EU bill and that Ireland will be able to meet the increase in its contribution to the EU Budget because it has collected more money in taxes this year than it had expected.
The Finance Minister added that whilst the Government can manage the increased contribution to the EU Budget, it would be “unfortunate” if there were any other economic fluctuations in the foreseeable future.