4.9 Government revenue and expenditure in Ireland1, 1911 to 1917 £ Year Government Revenue Government expenditure Balance 1911/12 10,688,000 11,533,500 -845,500 1912/13 10,731,500 12,137,000 -1,405,500 1913/14 11,134,500 12,357,000 -1,222,500 1914/15 12,389,500 12,656,000 -266,500 1915/16 17,929,000 12,597,000 5,332,000 1916/17 23,766,500 12,686,000 11,080,500 Source: The Public Finances of Ireland, Journal of the Statistical and Social Enquiry Society of Ireland, January 1920, Professor C. H. Oldham 1 Data in this table refers to the island of Ireland.

Photo: Custom House, Dublin City The Government spent £11.5 million on the island of Ireland in 1911 and raised £10.7 million in revenue, giving a deficit of about £0.8 million. By 1916 the overall fiscal situation in Ireland was very favourable for the British Government with a very substantial surplus in the government accounts of £11 million.

The deficit of £0.8 million in 1911, (before the start of World War I), had turned to a surplus of £5.3 million in 1915, (one year after the start of the war).

By 1916 nearly £24 million was raised in Ireland by the British government but just over half of this, £12.6 million, was spent in Ireland, giving a surplus of over £11 million towards the war effort in Britain.

Taxes on imported goods such as tea, sugar and tobacco and increased duties on alcoholic products, as well as a lowering of the exemption limit for income tax, contributed to the large increase in Government revenue between 1913 and 1916.

Total revenue collected by the British Government in 1916 was £564.7 million and revenue raised in Ireland accounted for about 4% of this.

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Government Revenue Government expenditure 1911/12 10688000 11533500 1912/13 10731500 12137000 1913/14 11134500 12357000 1914/15 12389500 12656000 1915/16 17929000 12597000 1916/17 23766500 12686000

The year 1916 for the economy of the thirty two county Ireland presents contrasting pictures from an economic standpoint. Rather than looking at the economic fortunes of families the focus in this section has been on economic activities such as the production, export and import of goods and raw materials together with trends in prices and the overall fiscal situation.

There were successful shipbuilding and textile production activities concentrated in the north of Ireland and Food and agricultural output was increasing in 1916. However the restrictions on Brewing and Distilling activities did have some adverse impact by 1916 but did not result in any structural changes in these activities.

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