Exchequer figures released this evening indicate that the Government's financial position continues to worsen.
The figures from January to October show borrowing and expenditure rising considerably more than had been predicted by the Government on budget day last year.
The figures, published this evening by the Department of Finance show the Government had to borrow just over €439 million in October.
The Department recorded a surplus of almost €600 million in September.
In the period from January to October 2001, the Department of Finance recorded a surplus of €2.26 billion.
The worse-than-anticipated figures indicated that while total income was up marginally on last year, expenditure increased by €3.6 billion.
A fall off in the tax take was highlighted as the main reason for the turnaround. In his budget last December, Minister McCreevy said tax receipts were expected to grow by 4 per cent.
But this evening's figures showed that in fact workers as a group are now paying 9 per cent less in income tax than they were last year, even though more people are now employed.
The exchequer returns were condemned tonight by Fine Gael. The party's Finance spokesman, Mr Richard Bruton said the Government had left a yawning gap in the exchequer, which demonstrated the scale of their incompetence in management of the public finances.
"In just 22 months the Government has turned a surplus, created by the Irish workforce, of €4,800 million, into a deficit now likely to reach at least euro one billion.
"We now face a Budget where the Government looks determined to make thepublic suffer the hangover of their spending binge."
