Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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358. To ask the Minister for Finance the estimated net financial contribution outflows less inflows by the Exchequer to the EU for 2020; the estimated net financial contribution that will be made in 2021 taking into account the effect of Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1016/21]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland has been a net contributor to the EU Budget since 2014, and since then, this position has grown further. In 2020, Ireland contributed €2.6 billion to the EU Budget. Data on actual EU Budget receipts are published annually in my Department’s Budgetary Statistics each Autumn for the previous year – 2020 receipt data will be published in Autumn 2021. Therefore, at this time, it is not yet possible to confirm Ireland’s net contribution in 2020.

Ireland’s contributions to the 2021-2027 MFF are expected to rise over the coming period from approximately €3 billion in 2021, to approximately €4 billion in 2027, an average of €3.5 billion per annum. We estimate that our receipts from the 2021-2027 MFF will be in the region of approximately €2 billion each year. However, these estimates are due to be revised in the coming weeks as part of the Stability Pact Update.

Given that the United Kingdom represented one of the largest net contributors to the EU Budget, Brexit has a significant impact on the contributions of all Member States, including Ireland’s. The above forecasts are based on the agreement on the 2021-2027 MFF, as agreed by EU leaders in July, which does not include any contributions from the United Kingdom.

The Deputy may also be aware that the Department of Finance published a report in September 2020 on Ireland’s financial transactions with the EU, Annual Report on Ireland's Transactions with the EU in 2018, which includes information on Ireland’s EU-related receipts and contributions. The report is intended to be an annual report, and can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/70cad-annual-report-on-irelands-transactions-with-the-eu-in-2018/.