€115m European payment bid includes electrification of Cork’s public transport

The Government has submitted a €115m payment request to a European fund, for measures including the electrification of Cork public transport.

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe announced this week that Ireland has submitted its second payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

Ireland will receive approximately €1.15bn over the lifetime of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) funded by the RRF, and has already received its first payment of €324m under the facility, which was adopted in July last year following commission and council approval.

The RRF allocation will be paid to Ireland in five instalments, with the drawdown of payments contingent on the timely delivery of the milestones and targets by each accountable department and on providing the supporting evidence to this effect.

The second payment request, which relates to 17 milestones and targets and amounts to €115m, includes investments such as work to enable the future electrification of public transport in Cork, the decarbonisation and digitalisation of the enterprise sector, enhancing digital skills, and increasing the provision of social and affordable housing.

In addition, Ireland’s second payment request includes reforms in areas including climate action, addressing the digital divide, reducing regulatory barriers to entrepreneurship by introducing an ‘SME test’ for new legislation, and tax, pension, housing, and pension reform.

Enabling future electrification through targeted investment in Cork Commuter Rail, providing significant capacity increases on the Cork Area Commuter Rail network, including construction of a through platform at Kent Station, line doubling between Glounthaune and Midleton, and re-signalling are among Ireland’s top NRRP priorities. 

The commission will send a preliminary assessment of Irish milestone fulfilment.