Tax take matches Govt's expectations

While the Greek situation goes from bad to worse, there was some glimmers of hope for Ireland today.

The figures show the Government has collected the amount of tax it had expected.

However, the €9bn raised in the first four months of the year is 10% behind the figures for same period last year.

The figures also reveal that the Government has managed to keep expenditure under control.

However, the Department of Finance said significant targets remain in the coming months and tax receipts will have to be monitored closely.

The news comes as the European Commission revised upwards Ireland's growth forecast.

But at the same time, the Greek crisis has pushed up the cost of borrowing for Ireland.