Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Cabinet committee on Europe is obviously important and should be meeting pretty regularly, possibly at short notice, given current dynamics. It has been a difficult few weeks for Ireland on the European stage, culminating in the events that led to our previous discussion. All of us in this House need to work together to fight for the best interests of our country. We have lost a commissioner and I wish my former MEP colleague, Mairéad McGuinness, the very best in her new role. I am sure she will do very well in an important brief.

Can the Taoiseach confirm that the Government backs the European deposit insurance scheme that was announced in 2015 and part of the proposals to complete banking union? A deal was done on a €750 billion Covid-19 recovery plan as part of the EU budget that was agreed in July. We do not have much detail about the plan or what the Government is doing. Will the Taoiseach provide some of that detail? We do not know, for instance, how much of a contribution Ireland has made. What were our contributions? Is it known yet what we can expect to receive? This will be critical money. What can we expect to receive? What are the Government's projections in that regard and for what will we use that funding?

We are expected to receive €1.3 billion in grants to help with Covid recovery along with access to approximately €1.4 billion in loans. Does that remain the case?

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