Annual Report on Ireland's Transactions with the EU in 2018

This is the Department of Finance’s first report on financial transactions with the EU. The motivation for the report lies in the fact that Ireland has recently become a net contributor to the EU budget, a situation that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

The purpose of the report is to present all of Ireland’s EU-related receipts and expenditures in a coherent manner, a ‘one-stop-shop’.

In 2018, the latest year for which full data are available, Ireland received €1.8 billion from the EU budget. Around 85 per cent of this funding goes to the agricultural sector and, more broadly, towards rural development projects.

Ireland’s payments to the EU budget in 2018 amounted to €2.5 billion, resulting in a net contribution of €0.7 billion. On a per capita basis, this is equivalent to €148 per person. Ireland is the second highest gross contributor per capita in the EU. Ireland became a net contributor in 2013 and since then (net) payments have increased significantly.

The EU is currently finalising its Multiannual Financial Framework to cover the period to end-2027. With the UK’s exit from the EU and Ireland’s strong relative income position, Ireland will likely remain a significant net contributor for the foreseeable future.

Finally, it is important to stress that this report focuses solely on payments made to and monies received from the EU. It is not – nor is it intended to be – a comprehensive analysis of the benefits, both tangible and intangible, or costs associated with Ireland’s membership of the EU.