The Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, today (22 January) launched Ireland’s public consultation on the future of the European Union’s Cohesion Policy.
This forms part of a wider process which is being facilitated by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP and Reform in advance of negotiations on the post 2027 Cohesion Policy Legislative Package expected to be presented in mid-2025. This public consultation will be followed by a National Forum meeting later in the year. The combined results will contribute directly to Ireland’s position on this key EU policy post 2027.
Cohesion Policy constitutes the main investment policy of the EU, and is due to account for around a third of its budget, or EUR 392 billion over the period of 2021-2027. Cohesion Policy is designed to contribute to strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion in the European Union. It aims to correct imbalances between countries and regions. It delivers on the Union’s political priorities, especially the green and digital transition. You can find more information on Cohesion Funding and also by watching this short video below which was created last year to celebrate Ireland’s 50 year membership of the EU.
How to participate
We welcome responses from all parties, regardless of whether you have been involved with Cohesion Funds before or not.
Please click on the ‘View consultation’ link at the bottom of this page to give your responses. You will be redirected to the EU survey site where you will be given further instructions on how to complete the survey.
Creating an EUSurvey account before starting your submission will allow you to pause and complete it later. We recommend that you complete the consultation using a laptop or a desktop to enable the full functionality of the survey.
If you have any queries in relation to the consultation please contact: cohesionpolicydialogue@per.gov.ie
What we will do with your response
A consultation report will be prepared based on the responses to this questionnaire, with the findings being used to inform Ireland’s view on the future of cohesion policy post 2027.
All submissions, including the name of the organisations making the submission will be published on the Cohesion Funds website. We will not be publishing the names of those who respond as individuals.
Any personal information submitted to the department will be treated strictly in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/67 and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Please note the department may receive a request under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014 for access to the submissions received and therefore submissions may be released in response to an FOI request, although noting above the intention to publish all submissions on the Cohesion Funds website. In any such situation, any personal information included in submissions would be redacted prior to release. If you have any queries, please email: cohesionpolicydialogue@per.gov.ie
All submissions will be retained until such time as they are appraised by the National Archives to determine whether they warrant permanent retention as archives in accordance with the department’s obligations under the terms of the National Archives Act, 1986.
Deadline for submissions
The deadline for submissions is the 18th of February 2024. To access the consultation, please click here.