OECD review of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council 2026

3. Impact of the Council

The Council has established itself as a credible and influential institution within Ireland’s fiscal framework. Stakeholders consistently view it as a trusted and independent source of analysis, contributing to a more informed and balanced public debate on fiscal policy. Its impact reflects both the strength of its analytical work and its ability to communicate complex issues clearly, despite structural constraints and a fiscal environment in which strong revenues can reduce the immediate demand for external scrutiny.

This section assesses the Council’s impact across three dimensions. It first examines its overall impact and visibility, including the effectiveness of its communication strategy and its performance relative to international peers. It then considers its influence on fiscal policy and public debate, including its role in supporting parliamentary scrutiny. Finally, it outlines priorities for strengthening the Council’s impact in a changing fiscal and media environment.

3.1. Overall impact and visibility

Despite its small size, the Council has achieved a high degree of impact and visibility within Ireland’s fiscal landscape, combining analytical credibility with strong public engagement. Fiscal issues attract sustained interest from the media and the public, The Council is widely recognised by stakeholders as a trusted and independent source of fiscal analysis, and its work plays a prominent role in shaping media coverage and public discussion of fiscal policy. This reflects not only the quality and relevance of its analysis, but also sustained efforts to improve how that analysis is communicated and disseminated.

This overall impact is reflected in the Council’s strong performance in the OECD Fiscal Advocacy Index, where it ranks among the top performers (Figure 3). Notably, it is one of the few smaller IFIs to achieve a top ten position, highlighting its ability to generate influence despite limited resources. Its performance is broad based, combining high standards of independence, comprehensive analytical coverage, effective communication practices and measurable impact on public debate. This reinforces the view that the Council “punches above its weight” relative to its size and institutional capacity.

Figure 3. The Council ranks sixth on the OECD Fiscal Advocacy Index

Note: The index scores IFIs across four dimensions: independence, reflected in freedom from political interference and stable multi-year funding; analysis, covering major fiscal issues, long-term risks, and election platform costings; communications, using modern platforms to share and track work; and impact, measured by influence on public debate through media and search data. 

Source: (OECD, 2025[11]).

A central driver of this performance has been the Council’s communication strategy. The Council maintains an open and constructive relationship with the media, proactively engaging with key journalists, clarifying its work where needed, and contributing to public debate through interviews and media commentary. In recent years, it has made significant progress in improving the accessibility of its outputs. Its flagship Fiscal Assessment Report has been streamlined and redesigned, with clearer language and messaging, as well as improved visual presentation. Stakeholders consistently emphasised that these changes have made the Council’s work more accessible to a wider audience without compromising analytical rigour, increasing the uptake and reach of its findings.

The Council has also diversified its communication channels to extend its reach. It has expanded its presence on LinkedIn, where it regularly publishes summaries, infographics and short video content, and has reduced its reliance on X. It has also increased its use of YouTube, including through the publication of conference content, and has begun to experiment with shorter and more visual formats. Internal analytics point to increasing engagement across these platforms, suggesting that these formats are helping to broaden the audience for fiscal analysis. At the same time, stakeholders highlighted the importance of maintaining a careful balance between accessibility and analytical depth as communication formats evolve.

These efforts have translated into strong visibility in traditional media. The Council’s analysis is regularly cited in national newspapers and broadcast outlets, particularly during key fiscal moments such as the budget cycle. Mentions in major media outlets have increased in recent years, and the Council stands out among OECD peers for the frequency with which its work is referenced in fiscal reporting. This indicates a significant role in shaping how fiscal developments are framed and understood in the public domain.

By contrast, direct visibility among the wider public appears more limited. Levels of search activity related to the Council are relatively low when compared with broader public finance topics (Figure 4). This suggests that while the Council is highly influential in informing media narratives, there remains scope to strengthen its direct recognition and engagement with non-specialist audiences.

Figure 4. The Council has high media coverage

Source: OECD Fiscal Advocacy Index 2024, and own workings.

Further insight into the Council’s visibility is provided by media sentiment analysis (Figure 5). Overall, media coverage is either neutral or broadly aligned with the Council’s positions, indicating that its analysis is generally perceived as credible and relevant. Periods of more critical coverage have typically coincided with instances where the Council’s assessments diverged from government policy, such as discussions around pension reform or the treatment of corporation tax revenues. More recently, reporting has shown stronger alignment, particularly where media narratives have echoed the Council’s warnings on spending pressures and fiscal risks. This suggests that the Council’s analytical framing is increasingly reflected in how fiscal issues are reported and discussed.

Figure 5. Sentiment analysis of media articles mentioning the Council

Note: Articles were scored on a scale from 1 (full agreement with the Council) to -1 (clear disagreement), with 0 indicating neutral reporting. A 180-day rolling average highlights the medium-term trends. Article stances were classified using a Natural Language Inference (NLI) model (DeBERTa). A semantic search first identified news sentences conceptually relevant to the Council's claims. A linguistic filter then removed direct quotes and political attributions to isolate the journalist's narrative voice. Finally, the NLI model evaluated whether the remaining text logically agreed with, contradicted, or was neutral towards the Council's position. Low-confidence classifications were defaulted to neutral.

Taken together, these elements point to a Council that combines strong analytical credibility with effective communication and high media visibility. This has enabled it to play a central role in shaping fiscal discourse in Ireland. At the same time, its impact has been achieved despite structural constraints, particularly in relation to staffing and access to information, and in a fiscal context where strong revenue performance can dampen demand for external scrutiny. Sustaining and deepening this impact will depend on continuing to adapt communication approaches while addressing these underlying constraints. In particular, it will be important for the Council to develop mechanisms to ensure that its analysis and publications continue to reach users increasingly relying on large language models and AI assistants for information.

3.2. Influence on fiscal policy and public debate

The Council’s influence extends beyond visibility to shaping fiscal policy, institutional practices and the broader public debate. Stakeholders consistently emphasised that it plays an important role in how fiscal risks are identified, discussed and understood in Ireland. Its impact is not limited to individual policy decisions, but is also reflected in improvements in analytical standards, greater transparency and a more forward-looking approach to fiscal policymaking.

3.2.1. Influence on fiscal policy and government practices

Several concrete examples illustrate the influence of the Council’s analytical work on fiscal policy and institutional practice. The Council’s role in endorsing official macroeconomic forecasts has contributed to strengthening forecasting practices within the Department of Finance. Stakeholders noted a reduced reliance on judgement based adjustments, greater methodological transparency and a more structured approach to explaining forecast assumptions. This has improved the credibility of the macroeconomic framework underpinning fiscal policy.

Stakeholders widely recognised the Council as an important voice in highlighting the risks associated with the concentration and volatility of corporation tax receipts. Its analysis helped ensure that these issues remained prominent in public and policy discussions, contributing to a broader debate that preceded the establishment of the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. This illustrates how consistent and targeted analysis can shape policy direction over time, even where the Council does not directly determine outcomes.

The Council has also contributed to expanding the scope of fiscal analysis into emerging policy areas. Its work on climate related fiscal risks filled an important gap at a time when few quantitative assessments were available in Ireland. By bringing greater attention to the fiscal implications of climate policy and transition risks, it has helped to broaden the fiscal policy debate and encourage a more comprehensive assessment of long-term sustainability.

Taken together, these examples demonstrate the impact of the Council’s work through its contribution to the quality and direction of specific policy choices. It has played a role in improving the underlying framework within which those choices are made. It has strengthened awareness of fiscal risks, raised analytical standards and supported a more systematic consideration of long-term challenges.

Shaping public debate

The Council also plays an important role in shaping public debate on fiscal policy. It is widely seen as a stabilising force within Ireland’s fiscal framework, consistently highlighting risks, challenging overly optimistic assumptions and providing an independent counterpoint in discussions of spending pressures. This role is particularly evident in areas such as healthcare, where persistent overruns and strong expenditure pressures require ongoing scrutiny. Stakeholders broadly agreed that, in the absence of the Council, fiscal debate in Ireland would be materially weaker and less balanced.

Engagement with parliament

Influence on public debate is reinforced through the Council’s engagement with parliament. Under the FRA (2012), the chairperson of the Fiscal Council can be called to appear before the Oireachtas. Although there is no formal requirement for annual appearances, the Council generally attends three to five committee hearings each year. These appearances provide an important channel through which the Council can explain fiscal developments, highlight risks and engage directly with policymakers. The Committee on Budgetary Oversight and the Finance Committee in particular draw regularly on the Council’s analysis in their scrutiny of government policy.

Stakeholders emphasised that the Council’s clear and accessible communication style enhances its effectiveness in this setting, making complex fiscal issues more understandable to parliamentarians who may not specialise in public finance. At the same time, the impact of this engagement depends on how discussions are structured. Some stakeholders noted that interactions can remain relatively general or reiterate established messages, rather than being closely tied to specific fiscal decisions or trade offs. This can limit the extent to which the Council’s analysis directly informs policy choices.

Strengthening the formal role of parliamentary scrutiny, as discussed in Chapter 2, would provide a clearer channel through which the Council’s analysis can influence fiscal decision making. A more structured role for the Oireachtas in reviewing and approving the Medium Term Fiscal and Structural Plan would enhance national ownership and accountability, while sharpening the focus of parliamentary engagement. In this context, a more formalised role for the Committee on Budgetary Oversight, including inviting the Council to assess proposed net expenditure ceilings, would help anchor discussions more directly in the realism, risks and underlying assumptions of fiscal policy. Strengthening interaction with members of the Oireachtas outside of committee appearances would also complement this role (see Section 3.3.2 below on deepening engagement with parliamentarians). Together, these measures would improve the quality and impact of interactions between parliament and the Council, ensuring that its analysis is more closely linked to concrete fiscal decisions.

3.2.2. Engagement with wider policy community

The Council’s influence also extends beyond parliament to the wider policy community. Secretariat members regularly contribute to conferences, seminars and policy discussions across a range of sectors, including health, housing, infrastructure, energy and macroeconomic policy. This sustained engagement helps to embed fiscal analysis within a broader ecosystem of expertise, ensuring that the Council’s work informs not only political debate but also policy development more generally.

A notable development has been the opening of the Council’s annual Path for the Public Finances conference to the public in 2026. This represents an important step in broadening access to discussions on long term fiscal challenges and strengthening public understanding of fiscal risks. The conference has become an influential platform for exploring complex issues, combining domestic analysis with international perspectives and helping to sustain attention on topics that may otherwise receive limited political or media focus (see Box 6).

Box 6. How the Council promotes learning through its Path for the Public Finances Conference

The Council’s annual Path for the Public Finances Conference has become an influential platform for long-term fiscal debate. Initially targeted at a curated audience of policymakers, analysts, and academics, the conference was opened to the public in 2026 to broaden its reach. Attendance typically ranges from 50 to 100 participants, with sessions later posted online.

Started in 2016, the conference serves two purposes. First, it strengthens the impact of the Council’s work and facilitates learning from external experts. Second, it brings sustained attention to long-term fiscal issues that often receive less political and media focus.

The 2023 conference, themed Saving for Our Future, was particularly impactful. It coincided with government consideration of whether to establish sovereign savings funds. The Council used the platform to present analysis on how saving windfall corporate tax receipts could help support long-term fiscal sustainability, and this was complemented by international perspectives from the former head of Norway’s central bank and sovereign wealth fund. According to stakeholders, this timing and the associated interventions contributed to the quality and the direction of fiscal debate that preceded the establishment of Ireland’s savings funds.

3.2.3. Limits to influence

Despite these strengths, the Council’s influence on final policy outcomes is shaped by broader political and economic factors and is not always immediately visible. Strong revenue performance, competing policy priorities and the political salience of short-term spending pressures can all limit the traction of medium-term fiscal recommendations. This underlines that the Council’s role is primarily to inform, shape and challenge, rather than to determine policy decisions.

This function is particularly important during periods of strong fiscal performance. When revenues are buoyant and headline indicators are favourable, underlying risks can build gradually and may be less visible in standard metrics. In such contexts, the Council’s role in maintaining focus on sustainability and highlighting emerging vulnerabilities becomes especially critical.

Overall, the Council has established itself as an important actor in strengthening the quality and direction of fiscal policymaking. Its analysis has helped inform public debate on fiscal policy and has contributed to a richer discussion of fiscal challenges and priorities. Its influence lies in strengthening the context in which fiscal decisions in Ireland are made, supporting more informed, transparent and forward-looking choices.

3.3. Strengthening impact: future direction

The Council has established strong credibility, visibility and influence within Ireland’s fiscal framework. At the same time, sustaining this impact could become more challenging.

Strong fiscal performance reduces the immediate demand for external scrutiny, while rising spending pressures and the prominence of short-term policy priorities can limit the traction of medium-term fiscal messages. In addition, maintaining the effectiveness of repeated fiscal messages requires continued effort to keep analysis relevant, specific and engaging over time.

At the same time, a changing media environment, characterised by increasing news avoidance and shifting patterns of online engagement, makes it more difficult to sustain attention and reach a broad audience (Reuters, 2025[12]).

In addition, AI-powered search engines and generative AI tools increasingly shape how citizens access information.

In this context, ensuring that the Council’s analysis continues to be accessible, and to resonate and influence decision making will require ongoing adaptation, alongside careful prioritisation within existing resource constraints.

3.3.1. Further expanding timely and layered analytical content

Ensuring the Council’s analysis and publications are accessible to AI tools is an important first step to ensuring it is being used, cited and incorporated into AI-generated responses. Further expanding the use of timely and layered analytical content would also strengthen the Council’s relevance in fast moving policy discussions. While its core reports remain central to its mandate, the Council has already made progress in developing shorter formats, such as blogs and briefings. There is scope to extend these efforts to provide more frequent, targeted and high impact analysis on emerging fiscal issues. This helps maintain visibility between major publications and link analysis more directly to live policy debates.

A more systematic use of layered outputs could also improve the effectiveness of repeated messaging. Presenting key findings across a mix of formats, ranging from detailed reports to shorter and more accessible summaries, would help ensure that core messages remain visible, relevant and closely aligned with current policy discussions over time. International and domestic examples illustrate how presenting analysis across multiple formats can strengthen engagement and reinforce key messages over time, while maintaining analytical rigour (see Box 7).

In practice, further expansion in this area would likely require additional capacity, particularly in communications.

Box 7. Layering analytical content: international and domestic examples

New York City’s Independent Budget Office (IBO)

The IBO uses a layered communication strategy to present fiscal analysis in formats tailored to different audiences and levels of technical expertise. This approach allows it to maintain analytical depth while broadening accessibility.

Key elements include:

• Detailed reports and datasets: Comprehensive publications with full methodological detail for core policymakers, researchers and expert users.

• Infographics (e.g. for LinkedIn): Clear visual summaries highlighting key findings and supporting wider dissemination among professionals and policymakers.

• Short form video content: Concise videos (e.g. YouTube, Instagram) that distil key messages for broader and younger audiences.

Deloitte Ireland: “This Week in 3 Numbers”

A domestic example of layered communication is Deloitte Ireland’s “This Week in 3 Numbers”, developed by the Chief Economist. The series illustrates how a structured and repeatable format can sustain engagement with economic issues.

Each edition combines:

• Short written commentary: A concise weekly overview linking three key datapoints to broader trends.

• Visual summaries: Slide content presenting headline messages for quick consumption.

• Short-form video: Brief, informal videos reinforcing the same content in an accessible format.

By presenting the same analysis across multiple formats, the series broadens reach while maintaining a clear and consistent narrative.

3.3.2. Deepening engagement with parliamentarians

Deepening engagement with parliamentarians could strengthen fiscal understanding among key decision-makers and further increase the impact of the Council’s analytical work on fiscal policy and debate. The Council already plays an important role through its appearances before Oireachtas committees, providing analysis and highlighting fiscal risks. There is scope to build on this.

Where resources allow, the Council and the Parliamentary Budget Office could collaborate to develop a programme of engagement with members of relevant committees on key fiscal issues. This might include private briefings and discussions on topics such as Ireland’s expenditure ceilings, the sustainability of tax revenues and sources of longer term spending pressures.

Inspiration can be drawn from Scotland where the Scottish Fiscal Commission and the Parliament’s Financial Scrutiny Unit have collaborated to deliver seminars and training on the budget for Members of the Scottish Parliament and their staff, supported by a new series of short videos. They are also working together to provide budget insights as part of the induction programme for members elected at the most recent Scottish Parliament elections.

3.3.3. Expanding engagement with stakeholders, universities and regional audiences

Expanding engagement beyond central policy institutions would help strengthen the reach and relevance of the Council’s analysis. While it has established a strong presence in national debate, there is scope to broaden engagement across regional audiences, universities and a wider range of stakeholder organisations.

Outreach to representative bodies, think tanks and civil society organisations can provide additional channels through which fiscal analysis informs public discussion. Engagement with universities can also support greater understanding of fiscal issues and contribute to building analytical capacity among future policymakers and practitioners.

Such efforts can strengthen fiscal literacy across a broader audience, ensuring that fiscal risks and trade offs are better understood beyond traditional policy and expert communities. This is particularly relevant in Ireland’s political context, where close links between parliamentarians and their constituencies mean that fiscal analysis can influence decision making not only directly, through formal channels, but also indirectly through citizens and stakeholder groups at the local level.

As with other areas, expanding engagement will need to be balanced against available resources, with a focus on activities most likely to maximise impact.