Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

176. To ask the Minister for Finance the size of the national debt currently. [36320/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The most recent estimate for the National Debt (which should be noted is distinct from General Government Debt (GGD), the metric used for comparative purposes across the European Union) is published on the NTMA website. As of end-June 2017 the National Debt stood at €183.87bn. 

The most recent estimate of the 2017 GGD was published by the Central Statistics Office in the Government Finance Statistics Quarterly Results (Quarter 1 2017) and, as of end-March 2017, was €208.2bn.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

177. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of interest that will be paid on the national debt in 2018. [36321/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As outlined in PQ number 224 of 13/07/2017 the most recent estimates of interest on National Debt for the years 2016-2021 were published in the 2017 Stability Programme Update (Table A3, page 51).

The 2018 figure is reproduced as follows.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

178. To ask the Minister for Finance the amount of interest paid in 2017 that was contracted since 2008. [36322/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am informed by the National Treasury Management Agency that it has paid net cash interest in the amount of €3.6 billion  in respect of Ireland’s National Debt for the six-month period (January to end-June 2017)*. This figure includes net interest paid on long-term debt, other medium/long term debt, short-term debt, EU/IMF Programme Loans and State Savings products. While the vast majority of interest paid refers to debt contracted since 2008, it is difficult to disaggregate this interest amount into interest contracted since 2008, due to complexities in the portfolio. Examples of these complexities include (i) certain State Savings products allow additions, reinvestments and withdrawals before maturity and (ii) bonds can be auctioned or cancelled from any series regardless of original issue date.

*This 2017 figure is provisional and unaudited at this point.