Irish tax take 4.2 percent above plan, but outperformance weakens

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's tax take was 4.2 percent above target and 11 percent up year-on-year at the end of April, data showed on Tuesday, although the outperformance slowed from March on weaker than expected monthly income tax and VAT receipts. Tax revenue had been 5.5 percent ahead of target in the first quarter. Ireland's budget deficit, set to fall below 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year after ballooning during its financial crisis, stood at 2.3 billion euros (£1.69 billion) at the end of April, down from 4.8 billion a year ago. Government spending in the first four months was 1.6 percent lower than anticipated, the data showed. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin and Conor Humphries; editing by John Stonestreet)