The European Parliament has given the green light for Ireland to receive an advance payment of €23 million to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The money will come from the EU Solidarity Fund which is normally used for large-scale disasters.
Overall 19 EU countries applied for funding with the Parliament's Budget Committee approving a 25 per cent advance for the Republic.
In total Ireland will get about €100 million to help with the costs brought on by the pandemic.
Fianna Fáil MEP for Dublin Barry Andrews says the cash will be used to help the health service.
"This is a fund that is normally used for natural disasters so it will be applied in the Irish health service to reflect the pressures it has come upon as a result of Covid.
"It's very welcome, and we will get €100 million in due course. That's quite substantial if you look at the allocation to other countries, it's a very good amount."
The news will be welcomed by the health service which has largely kept non-Covid services functioning despite a large second wave of the virus.
As of this morning, there were 291 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Irish hospitals, while there were 33 patients being treated for the virus in ICU settings.
