Dáil debates

Wednesday, 2 June 2021

National Recovery and Resilience Plan: Statements

 

4:20 pm

Photo of Neale RichmondNeale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the opportunity to contribute briefly to this very important debate, nominally about the national recovery and resilience plan. We know from the Minister's remarks that it also includes the national economic plan, the various measures announced yesterday, the measures that have been announced throughout the pandemic and a few early pitches ahead of the budgetary cycle.

The one area I would like to focus on, however, is the national recovery and resilience plan submitted by the Government to the European Commission last week as part of the massive next-generation EU fund. I have been absolutely struck by the repeated, pre-prepared interventions by several Deputies questioning the allocation of the money. It has been quite simple. They are saying we are not getting enough and that it is based on GDP but they are not looking into the criteria that were laid down, by agreement, by all EU member states. Quite simply, it is hard to give out about good news so people find a way to change the parameters to make a complaint. It is this sort of latent Euroscepticism, which can creep into this Chamber as it has crept into other chambers across the EU and across the water, that leads to the disruption and disinformation that conclude with extremely bad decisions.

It is quite clear that the €900 million or so allocated to Ireland out of €750 billion is absolutely proportionate. Trying to compare a country the size of Ireland, with its population and economy, with Poland is completely misleading where the general consumption of this debate is concerned. The plan provides great opportunities on the back of breakthrough policy initiatives by the European Union to raise its own resources. I refer to the innovation to create eurobonds that will go on the market this week. It is a huge step forward for the EU to be able to deliver for its citizens in this way. The plan the Government outlined to the European Commission, along with the €4 billion investment announced yesterday, is vital. It gives us a great opportunity. When we emerge from challenging times, we have to take every opportunity to build back better and create a better society and economy. I truly believe this plan that we are nominally debating today along with the other measures announced is vital in this regard. I must ask Deputies on all sides of the House to stick to the facts and the debate and leave the misleading for another day and another platform.

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