Ireland to tap surplus, taxes on suppliers for any future energy measures -finance minister

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will tap surplus funds not stashed away in its national reserve fund if consumers or businesses need further help with energy bills beyond March next year, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said on Tuesday.

"The first port of call for that will be the surplus we still believe we will have," Donohoe told a news conference when asked if he would tap the planned 6 billion euro national reserve fund in the first instance.

"The second port of call will be either our participation in the EU wide energy tax measure that may come in and if that is not forthcoming, the government has committed today to bringing forward our own domestic tax raising measure from the energy sector."

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Chris Reese)