Mr. Macdara Doyle:

There was a plan in place for the orderly wind-down of the Spanish coal industry, which is located mainly in the north of that country, but it was torn up by the previous Spanish Government in 2013 or 2014. There followed a response from the trade unions and the affected communities in the intervening four years before, in 2018, a deal was agreed between all stakeholders, including trade unions, the Government and both private sector and State employers. The overall plan allows for retraining, reskilling and voluntary retirement. It will also facilitate redeployment within the sector, where such is required, and it is reckoned that some 60% of the workforce will take advantage of that option. There is a similarity between the profiles of the Spanish coal industry and Bord na Móna. The timeframe for the Spanish plan runs until 2027, which is close to the end date of 2018 that was originally envisaged for Bord na Móna. The age profile and size of the workforce is similar in both cases, comprising approximately 1,700 to 2,000 employees. In Spain, an investment package of €250 million has been agreed to create alternative employment in the region.