FILE PHOTO: Ireland's Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe speaks during an interview with Reuters at the Ministry of Finance in Dublin, Ireland, February 5, 2018. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland’s finance minister told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that extra spending in the health department to deal with the coronavirus crisis will amount to up to 2 billion euros, a government spokesman said.

Minister Paschal Donohoe said last week that Ireland was set to run a considerable budget deficit this year as a result of the economic shock. He told his cabinet colleagues that the state would be able to fund the deficit, the spokesman added.