Higher tax receipts contributed to a further improvement in the public finances in February.
The latest Exchequer returns from the Department of Finance show a surplus of €900 million last month.
This compares to a deficit of €700 million in February last year - and is an improvement of almost €1.7 billion.
More people back at work and more people spending have both helped the public finances repair themselves further after the marathon spending incurred during the Covid pandemic.
On a twelve month rolling basis, the deficit stood at €5.7 billion.
Tax revenues were up 20% in the first two months of the year compared to the same period last year. Compared to the first two months of 2020, pre-pandemic receipts were up 10%.
Spending in the first two months of the year was €800 million lower than the same period last year.
Income tax receipts were up 17% in the first two months of 2022 and were 18% higher than the first two months of 2020.
VAT receipts, which reflect spending by consumers, were 27% higher in the first two months of this year compared to 2021.
Compared to the pre-pandemic first two months of 2020, they were up 10%.
Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe said today's figures show that tax receipts continue to record strong growth in the opening months of this year.
"While the annual comparisons are flattered due to a number of factors, the underlying trends are a good signal of the continued momentum in the domestic economy," Minister Donohoe said in a statement.
"The strong income tax performance reflects the ongoing recovery in the labour market, alongside continued wage increases in sectors less affected by the pandemic, while the significant increase in VAT receipts is driven by the rebound in consumer spending," he added.
Minister Donohoe said while recent trends are positive, we cannot become complacent.
"It is crucial that we continue to make progress along the road to recovery. Budget 2022 set a framework within which we can reduce the deficit and restore the public finances, while continuing to invest heavily in public services, particularly in capital infrastructure," he said.
