Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that yesterday was a difficult day for many Bord na Móna workers, their families and their communities. Bord na Móna has a responsibility, and is taking steps, to continue to provide good quality and sustainable jobs in the midlands for many years to come. I welcome that Bord na Móna has confirmed it is seeking redundancies on a voluntary basis. It is important that it puts in place a long-term plan for the midlands. It is planning to provide for long-term sustainable employment for the midlands, including 400 to 500 jobs in new areas of business, such as renewable energy and resource recovery. All relevant State supports will be made available to the workers impacted by yesterday's announcements. Bord na Móna also will provide additional support to workers who opt for redundancy, including reskilling opportunities when they are asked for. Bord na Móna will also engage in extensive consultation with workers in coming weeks, which will include a series of town hall meetings with senior management.

The midlands has had strong employment growth in recent years, I am glad to say, with 15,300 extra people working in the midlands since 2015. There has been a series of positive jobs announcements in recent years and we have every reason to believe that will continue. I remember well that when Deputy Bruton was Minister with responsibility in the area, he focused on an Action Plan for Jobs in particular for parts of Ireland that needed jobs focus at the time, in which the midlands was a large part.

This is a difficult time for families and individuals who face choices. I am confident that Bord na Móna will offer a generous and supportive package to workers who choose to take a redundancy package. The agencies of the State will work with Bord na Móna and the workers involved to help them reskill, where wanted, to ensure that new job opportunities are there and that Bord na Móna itself, which has been planning for this transition for many years and has been communicating with its workers to that effect, will also ensure that the job opportunities it provides are prioritised for workers who may have difficult choices to make in the coming weeks and months.

On the Deputy's suggestion to establish a forum, the Government would be willing to do whatever is constructive and necessary in terms of giving reassurance that in the transition to a low-carbon economy, which does and will impact on companies and work forces and energy policy in particular as well as other sectors, that we work with people to ensure that people can plan for, deal with and manage in a way which does not undermine their incomes.

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