Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 November 2023
60. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the progress his Department as co-chair has made in implementing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. [49686/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is expected to receive €914m in grants over the lifetime of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). In order to access this funding, Ireland has developed the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The RRF is a performance-based instrument with payment contingent on the satisfactory achievement of milestones and targets. The NRRP is based on sixteen investment projects and nine reform measures and their associated 109 milestones and targets covering the following priorities:
• Priority 1: Advancing the Green Transition;
• Priority 2: Accelerating and Expanding Digital Reforms and Transformation; and
• Priority 3: Social and Economic Recovery and Job Creation
The NRRP is overseen by an Implementing Body in my Department who report to me on progress. I then report to the Cabinet Committee on the Economy and Investment, as necessary and to Government every six months on progress on the implementation of milestones and targets relating to both investments and reforms in the NRRP and Ireland's drawdown of RRF funds.
A Delivery Committee chaired at a senior level (Assistant Secretary) by my Department and deputy co-chaired by the Departments of Taoiseach and Finance meets at least quarterly. Its role is to maintain oversight of implementation of the plan, and address issues as they arise.
While the Implementing Body and Delivery Committee monitor the implementation of the Plan and are responsible for exchanges with the EU institutions, responsibility for implementing the individual measures lies with the relevant Departments and bodies.
The delivery of the plan is well underway. Ireland’s first payment request was formally submitted on 7 September 2023. There are 41 milestones and targets with a value of €324m in this request. The payment request is currently undergoing detailed assessment by the Commission and, following this, by other Member States through the Economic Policy (EPC) and the Economic and Financial (EFC) committees of ECOFIN.
