Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome Ms King and the team and thank them for their work. To what extent does she think the work of a just transition commissioner should be extended beyond its current scope, which is principally in the midlands in respect of the end of the burning of peat for generating electricity? The ESB has reduced considerably its burning of coal in Clare, the constituency I represent. That was not expected to happen until 2025 but because there is more renewable energy on the grid the output of Moneypoint is not required to the extent it was previously. That has changed the profile of what is happening there. As a result, the ESB has negotiated a deal with the union for 100 people to take redundancy. In a just transition it is important that workers are looked after. If one is working for Bord na Móna or the ESB one will be well looked after because the companies are in good shape. There is some support available, certainly for the workers in the ESB. I understand it was voluntary and they are being supported.

An additional piece is the impact on communities. That is why a holistic approach to a just transition is required. It is not just the loss of the 100 jobs that is important. The benefit of the pay packets in those communities, the ancillary businesses, the contractors and sub-contractors and the companies that are sole suppliers to the ESB are impacted as well. I accept that Ms King's role relates to the employees, and rightly so, but when looking at a just transition one must look at the entire impact on the communities because there is legislation to deal with redundancies, negotiations and so forth. It is about how we can broaden it to ensure we do not leave massive holes in communities. As Ms King correctly said, it is about engagement by the companies to try to find a way of re-jobbing people who must take the redundancies. Will she comment on the Moneypoint issue in west Clare and give her views on it?