The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has warned that next year's Budget may need to be bigger than first expected.
The council said that the government could be forced to increase the amount of cost-cutting next year if the economy does not grow as much as expected.
It said the government used up some of its room for manoeuvre by reducing the cost-cutting in Budget 2014.
The group's chairman John McHale said the government cannot do the same again next year.