Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 March 2021
240. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Health if his Department was involved in the development of Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with Covid-19; if Ireland’s application to the EU recovery and resilience facility will include actions to support the recovery of the health service following the Covid-19 pandemic and improve the future resilience of the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16243/21]
View answerI understand that the development of ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’, took cognisance of and was informed by NPHET advice provided over the months preceding the publication of the Plan in September 2020. In particular, the NPHET held two discussions on 3rd and 10th September 2020 which led to the development of a draft 5 Level ‘Framework for Restrictive Measures in Response to COVID-19’. On 11th September, the NPHET attached the draft Framework for Restrictive Measures to its letter to me, for consideration as part of the development of the Government's Plan. These letters are available online: https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/ba4aa0-letters-from-the-cmo-to-the-minister-for-health/#august-december-2020.
There was also engagement with the Department of Health and the HSE regarding the implications of the response to COVID-19 for the health service which also informed the Plan for Living with COVID-19.
Ireland is developing a National Recovery & Resilience Plan (NRRP) for approval by the European Union. The Plan will set out the reforms and investments to be supported by the Recovery and Resilience Facility and will be submitted to the European Commission no later than 30 April 2021.
I understand that the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform, working together with the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Finance and the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, is responsible for the preparing the Plan with input from other Departments as necessary, and for ensuring coordination across Government.
