Figures published this morning suggest that the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, will have scope for some generous tax relief measures in his Budget next Wednesday.
A pre-Budget White Paper from the Department of Finance shows that Exchequer borrowing is down to only €200m compared to an estimated €2.8bn.
The decrease is due to a late surge in tax receipts as well as savings in interest payments on government borrowings.
However, the national debt is set to rise by at least €1.8bn next year.
