In its latest report the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has described the Government’s medium-term spending plans as “not credible”. The watchdog says there is an over-reliance on corporation tax receipts to cover ‘unplanned’ increases in spending, such as in health. In today’s podcast the chairman of IFAC, Seamus Coffey, explains why the council is so concerned about government spending, why the outlook for the Irish economy is “unusually uncertain” and what the immediate impact of a hard Brexit would be. He also talks about why he believes that IFAC’s warnings are influencing the Government’s handling of the public finances, despite an apparent reluctance to accept the watchdog’s findings.Plus: Peter Hamilton has a roundup of some of the week's other business headlines, including Ryanair's plan to add Malta Air to its expanding group of airlines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.