DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's tax take for 2014 was 3 percent above target at the end of November while spending by government departments was just 0.7 percent more than planned, data showed on Tuesday.
Buoyant taxes together with quickly recovering economic growth allowed the government to bring an end to austerity in October's budget for 2015 and cut the rate of income tax for the first time in seven years.
Ireland's budget shortfall, which ballooned during the country's financial crisis, fell to a still-high 5.8 billion euros ($7.2 billion) from 8.6 billion at the same time last year, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin)