Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Deputy's point, but we will not be able to get a similar amount in the second round. It will not be of that scale because the metrics, in terms of the application of the GDP measurement, is going to make it challenging for us.

We will keep open the idea and possibility of borrowing from the facility but, given the fact we can borrow quite cheaply, or I might say at low cost, on the markets at the moment, it is something the Minister for Finance continues to evaluate.

The importance of this recovery and resilience plan is its focus on decarbonisation of the economy. There are significant jobs available now, and will be available, in retrofitting, for example, under the national retrofit programme and in terms of public transport development. The rail project in Cork is a very good illustration of that. The Beggars Bush development will provide a state-of-the-art public building for the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, which will then become an exemplar for other public buildings in terms of how they should be developed. The river basin management plan is also important. Investment in schools will see connectivity provided for 1,000 or 1,100 schools. There is also the national grand challenges scholars programme, which will give substantial funding for research across the country.

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