ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 63 Ireland Submits Second Payment Request Under EU Recovery and Resilience Facility Ireland has formally submitted its second payment request under the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). This milestone follows comprehensive engagement between various government departments and the European Commission during the informal cooperation process. The RRF, a cornerstone of the EU’s recovery strategy NextGenerationEU, was established to provide financial assistance to Member States as they address the economic and social challenges posed by the Milestone Marks 48% Progress in Ireland’s Plan to Access €1.15 Billion in Funding. COVID-19 pandemic. It also aims to strengthen the resilience of the European economy against future disruptions. Approval of this second payment request will signify Ireland’s successful achievement of 48% of the milestones and targets outlined in its Recovery and Resilience Plan. Additionally, it would secure 38% of the total €1.15 billion allocated to Ireland under the RRF. The European Commission will now evaluate the request and prepare a preliminary assessment of Ireland’s Industry News LI nE dDuVsAt rNy CNE e w s Record numbers trained in retrofitting courses in 2024 Provisional end of year figures show there were 6,423 enrolments in the retrofit and Zero Energy Building (NZEB) training courses offered by the national network of Centres of Excellence operated by the Education and Training Boards (ETBs). This figure is up from 4,452 enrolments in 2023, and female participants also accounted for a record 11 per cent of participants this year. Minister O’Donovan said: “The continuing increase in the number Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Patrick O’Donovan recently welcomed the number of enrolments in retrofitting courses increasing by almost 50 per cent in 2024. heating costs for consumers, creating warmer and more comfortable homes. “My department has worked with SOLAS and the ETBs to create improved models of delivery for these courses, so that it is as easy as possible for anyone looking to upskill or reskill to get the training they need. “The programmes offered in these Centres of Excellence will appeal to anyone looking to further their careers in green construction. of workers taking advantage of the NZEB and Retrofit upskilling and reskilling courses is hugely positive for reaching the government’s Housing for All target of retrofitting 500,000 homes by 2030. A pipeline of highly skilled workers is key to delivering this goal. “2024 has been another recordbreaking year for enrolments in this vital area. Adding more people with the necessary skills to carry out retrofitting will help us lower our emissions, as set out under the Climate Action Plan. It also means we can reduce home compliance with the necessary milestones and targets. This evaluation will be presented to the Economic and Financial Committee of the European Council for further review.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mzk5MjA=