Ministers Chambers and Harris welcome EU Commissioner Michael McGrath’s confirmation that Ireland will receive its fourth payment (€249m) under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility

The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers, and the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris, have today welcomed EU Commissioner Michael McGrath’s confirmation that Ireland will receive its fourth payment of €249 million under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
The fourth payment is part of Ireland’s €1.15 billion allocation in grants over the lifetime of the RRF. Payments under the RRF are performance-based and depend on the successful implementation by Ireland of the investments and reforms as set out in its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The plan covers the priorities of Advancing the Green Transition, Accelerating and Expanding Digital Reforms and Transformation, Social and Economic Recovery and Job Creation, and REPowerEU.
Minister Chambers said today:
“I am delighted to receive confirmation from EU Commissioner Michael McGrath that Ireland will receive a further €249 million under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. This payment request will bring the funds paid to Ireland under the RRF to €929 million, corresponding to drawdown of 80% of the overall allocation and 80% of all milestones and targets in the plan now achieved. This paves the way for continued progress towards full implementation of Ireland’s plan before the end of the year”
Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris said:
“This €249 million payment marks Ireland’s penultimate disbursement under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. The Facility underpins the Union’s determination to recover from the COVID‑19 crisis stronger and more resilient. Ireland has been at the forefront of this effort, delivering on our commitments and demonstrating the value of collective EU action. We are focused now on completing our Plan ahead of the Facility’s closure later this year, coinciding with Ireland’s forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union."
EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath said:
“I am delighted to reveal with Minister Chambers today that the Commission has decided to disburse the €249 million sought in Ireland’s fourth payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The reforms and investments concerned will contribute to railway electrification, e-health, public administration, higher education, re-skilling and up-skilling, as well as renewable energy generation. It is a particular pleasure to share this news alongside Minister Chambers, whose department I know well from my time in government. This fourth payment will bring the funds disbursed directly to Ireland so far under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility to €929 million, or 80% of the funds earmarked for Ireland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan.”
The fourth payment request relates to 8 milestones and targets and includes investments such as:

• construction of an extended platform at Cork’s Kent station to enable future electrification in Cork commuter rail;
• construction of a Government data centre;
• e-Health projects that support the digitalisation of the Irish healthcare system;
• Solas’ Recovery Skills Response Programme (e.g. Green Skills Action Programme and the Skills to Compete Initiative) to support the reskilling and upskilling of workers;
• Technological Universities Transformation Fund to build capacity in education and training in technological universities.

In addition, Ireland’s fourth payment request includes a reform in offshore renewable electricity to accelerate the uptake of offshore renewable energy sources.

Notes
The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is the main pillar of the European recovery plan, NextGenerationEU, designed to provide financial aid to Member States to combat the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and make the European economy more resistant to future shocks.
The RRF entered into force on 19 February 2021. It finances reforms and investments in EU Member States made from the start of the pandemic in February 2020 until 31 August 2026. Countries can receive financing up to a previously agreed maximum amount.
To benefit from support under the Facility, EU Governments have submitted national recovery and resilience plans, outlining the reforms and investments they will implement, with clear milestones and targets. The plans had to allocate at least 37% of their budget to green measures and 20% to digital measures.
The Recovery and Resilience Facility is performance-based. This means that the Commission only pays out the amounts to each country when they have achieved the agreed milestones and targets towards completing the reforms and investments included in their plan.
Ireland’s RRF Allocation is €1.15 billion, including REPowerEU. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan covers 10 reforms and 18 investments with 98 associated milestones and targets. Payment is contingent on achievement of the milestones and targets in each payment instalment. Ireland has already received its first three payments under the Facility.
This payment request was formally submitted to the Commission on 10 February 2026 and covers a total of 8 milestones and targets and amounts to €249 million.
RRF projects are pre-funded through the Estimates processes and the National Development Plan, with the RRF allocated funding being recouped from the EU after the milestones and targets have been achieved.
The RRF allocation will be paid to Ireland in five instalments.
The remaining payment request will be submitted for assessment to the Commission before the end September 2026 deadline.
Further information can be found on the government and European Commission websites at:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/d4939-national-recovery-and-resilience-plan-2021/ and
https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/economic-recovery/recovery-and-resilience-facility/country-pages/irelands-recovery-and-resilience-plan_en