The Exchequer recorded a deficit of €7.473 billion in April, more than double the deficit of €3.192bn recorded in April of last year.
Spending to the end of April was up €2.4bn, or 13.5%, on where it was planned to be, primarily due to Covid-19 related expenditure by the Department of Health and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
Tax receipts in April were down 8%, or €223m, on the same month last year. Tax receipts in the year to April were down 0.6%, or €86m.
In a statement, the Department of Finance points out that the full impact of Covid-19 has yet to materialise in taxation receipts.