Irish tax take 5.8 percent ahead of target at end September

DUBLIN, Oct (HKSE: 3366-OL.HK - news) 2 (Reuters) - Ireland (Other OTC: IRLD - news) 's tax take rose to 5.8 percent above target at the end of September, leaving the government on course to beat its year-end deficit target.

The tax take was 1.74 billion euros higher than forecast, up from a 1.4 billion-euro surplus in August.

Government spending in the first eight months was 1.3 percent or almost 394 million euros lower than expected, the finance department said.

That left the exchequer posting a deficit of 104 million euro at the end of September versus a deficit of 5.96 billion at the same point last year. If one-off items are excluded, the deficit would come in closer to 4 billion euros. (Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Angus MacSwan)