Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 27 together.

Ireland has been allocated €1.15 billion in funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) in respect of measures included in our National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The programme period runs from 2021 to 2026. The RRF is a performance-based instrument with payment contingent on the evidenced achievement of the milestones and targets in the plan.

Ireland’s Plan is divided into the following four priority areas:

1. Advancing the Green Transition
2. Accelerating and Expanding Digital Reforms and Transformation
3. Social and Economic Recovery and Job Creation
4. REPowerEU

Ireland’s NRRP was originally based on 16 investment and 9 reform projects. With the addition of the REPowerEU Chapter in June 2024, the NRRP now has 19 investment projects and 10 reform measures.

The NRRP is prefunded through the estimates processes and the National Development Plan. RRF allocated funding is then recouped from the EU after the agreed milestones and targets within the plan have been achieved and verified. The RRF allocation will be paid to Ireland in five instalments.

An NRRP Implementing Body was established within my Department to drive implementation of the Plan. This Body acts as the lead authority for Ireland and as the single point of contact with the European Commission. Responsibility for implementing the individual projects and providing the evidence of achievement of milestones and targets lies with the relevant Accountable Departments and bodies.

The first payment request which was worth €324m, consisted of 35 milestones and 5 targets. Ireland received this payment into the exchequer in July 2024.

Ireland’s second payment request, had a value of €115m and consisted of 10 milestones and 7 targets. Ireland submitted this payment request in December 2024, and has just recently (June 2025) received payment into the exchequer.

In essence, this means Ireland has received 38% of our overall RRF allocated funding and this marks the successful achievement of 48% of the milestones and targets within our plan.

Ireland is on track to submit the third payment request to the European Commission for assessment in the coming weeks. This third payment request has a value of €240 million and has 9 milestones and 5 targets.

Successful assessment of this third request will mark Ireland having completed 60% of the milestones and targets within the NRRP.

Ireland is currently reviewing the milestones and targets in the fourth and fifth payment requests with the aim of adjusting and amending the plan where necessary, to ensure timely delivery within the lifetime of the RRF and to ensure that we drawdown all remaining allocated funding under the facility.

The RRF deadline for completion of measures is 31 August 2026, with the final payment request to be submitted by 30 September 2026. My Department will submit the remaining two payment requests for assessment before the end September 2026 deadline.