Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Business Post reported at the weekend that the State is in final talks with the EU over the €915 million in recovery funding. There is a €750 billion fund in place under the EU's pandemic recovery plan, as we know. We will get €853 million in grants in 2021 and 2022 but our allocation for 2023 has been substantially reduced from €420 million to €68 million, a loss of €352 million. Is that confirmed? That is what was reported in The Business Post. The Taoiseach can tell me in his response. Have we lobbied for additional funding or what are the exact figures? Are the media reports correct? To the Taoiseach's knowledge, how much funding will Ireland receive under the recovery and resilience fund?

It is reported that this funding will go towards something I would welcome, namely deficiencies in our ehealth system, a centralised data centre and the retrofitting of State buildings. An ehealth project would allow for the secure electronic sharing of patient information lab results and prescriptions between medical providers. That will play a vital role in the situation where we have seen a huge negative deficit in our public health infrastructure. Can the Taoiseach confirm that this funding will be used for ehealth, retrofitting and a centralised data centre? When will this funding be confirmed?

See this speech in context