Dáil debates

Thursday, 28 November 2019

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions

Just Transition Fund

11:40 am

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are providing immediate funding for bog restoration on both non-Bord na Móna bogs and Bord na Móna bogs. We are working to get final approval from the EU under state aid. We have submitted a Bord na Móna proposal to get the additional repurposed PSO which will allow significant numbers to be re-employed on the bogs doing restoration to a much higher level. We have also committed to rolling out a retrofitting programme in the midlands. We recognise that will require retraining. No doubt the regional skills forum, which has already adopted a low-carbon transition objective, will look at the sorts of skills that are needed to complement those already available to Bord na Móna workers to make the change.

The commissioner will make recommendations as to how the just transition fund should be best deployed. It will obviously seek to select the best ideas that emerge from the local communities for the development of alternative opportunities along with those I already outlined. I mentioned that we are part of the EU coal platform. It will be a question for the new Commission under the multi-annual funding framework as to whether it provides funding. There was no such funding element by the last Commission but I understand the President of the Commission has given positive indications for the future.

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