Mr. Brian Carroll:

I do not think it has side tracked the NESC work. The NESC work is happening in parallel and is due to be completed this year. In terms of the situation that arose immediately in the midlands, the Government needed to respond to that. In my opening statement I went through a lot of the decisions Government has taken in terms of the funds and so on. Part of that response was the establishment of a just transition commissioner. The NESC piece, while it is focusing on the just transition and clearly what is happening in the midlands is the first serious manifestation, it is also aiming to take a much longer term and broader perspective. It will be looking out over the coming decades and seeking to anticipate where the next instances will arise and to plan for that. I do not see the two as being inconsistent. There was something that needed to be dealt with in the midlands with quite a degree of urgency.