IRELAND IS TO receive an initial allocation of €915 million from the EU to help us get the economy going in the months and years after the end of the Covid pandemic. 

The draft plan, called the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, details how the cash will be used to drive job creation, improve the nation’s digital infrastructure as well as invest in new green initiatives. 

Before the nation gets the cash, the draft plan has to undergo a formal assessment by the European Commission, a process expected to take two months, before being submitted to the Council of the European Union for approval.

Climate

Priority one for the Government, according to the document, is what they call “advancing the green transition”.

A total of seven investments costing €503 million will be undertaken if the Government gets the go-ahead from the EU. 

Ideas include accelerating the decarbonisation of the enterprise sector, upgrading waste water treatment plants, the rehabilitation of 33,000 hectares of peatland as well as helping to undertake the retrofit of public office accomodation. 

The plans in-full are: 

To view the document in full – please click here. 

Digital investment

A total of €295 million has been earmarked for improving the nation’s digital infrastructure.

The initiatives include focusing on digital literacy and skills across the entire education system.  

A shared Government data centre is also on the cards which will help all departments and agencies to share data securely, cutting down on administrative delays. 

Improvements to the health services are also planned including investment in ePharmacy solutions. 

The plans in full are: 

To view the document in full – please click here. 

Job creation and social recovery

The final strand of the recovery plan is social and economic recovery and job creation. 

A total of €181 million will be given to this aspect of the national recovery plan. 

Further education courses, work placement experience programmes and cash injections for the nation’s Technological Universities are on the cards should the Council of Europe sign off on our plans. 

The plans in full are: 

To view the document in full – please click here. 

Aside from the above, the nation said it is committed to implementing reforms around money laundering, healthcare reform, pensions and tax planning.