Irish budget repeats ‘boom-to-bust’ mistakes, watchdog warns

The criticism was anticipated by the government with the public spending minister using his budget day speech to justify the rule breaches.

Paschal Donohoe said that given the challenges of inflation and the pandemic, “the 5% anchor was simply not appropriate to cover the growth and expansion of services our country needed”.

He added: “Our strategy was the right one. We made essential adjustments to it, depending on the particular set of challenges we were facing.

“Not to do so would have meant not being able to protect and provide for our people during times of great need.”