Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have one concern with regard to Ireland's allocation, which is €915 million. Notwithstanding that Ireland's population is more than 1.1% of the European Union, its allocation is less than 0.75%. I ask the Taoiseach to outline what criteria was used at a European level to determine the allocations for individual member states and to confirm if he is happy and satisfied with Ireland's allocation. My second question is again in regard to the €915 million. I ask the Taoiseach to confirm if it is a grant that does not have to be paid back to Brussels or if it is a loan that has to be paid back over time.

I would like to make a third point. I agree with the overarching objectives of this programme. It is about decarbonisation, digitalisation and resilience. In the time remaining to me, I will focus on the resilience piece. Over the last 15 or 16 months two organisations in particular have excelled and demonstrated once again that they are critical when it comes to national resilience in the face of the strategic shock we have just been through, that is, An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. Ironically, these are the two organisations that get very little, if any, funding directly from Brussels. This is an opportunity to right that wrong. I note in the plan a commitment for deep retrofitting of public service buildings. I ask the Taoiseach to consider or, at least, not to forget the many old and cold Garda stations and military barracks all over this country. They were formerly owned by the Royal Irish Constabulary, RIC, and the British Army and we took them over almost 100 years ago. They are in deep and serious need of refurbishment. I ask the Taoiseach not to forget about them.

There is another commitment in regard to funding of the technological universities. Again, there are two technological universities that have been consistently forgotten about, that is, the Garda College in Templemore and The Military College in the Curragh Camp, both of which are crying out for funding. Soldiering and policing in the 21st century are tech-heavy professions and they need to be funded. I ask the Taoiseach not to forget about these two institutions. They have served us well over the last 100 years. I ask that any funding available through this stream be directed to those two institutions.

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