David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The problem is the Minister is not genuinely listening to what the trade unions are saying. He should read the transcripts from when they were before the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment and the Joint Committee on Climate Action. They said the joint industrial relations council is not the way to deal with this. They do not have a difficulty with dealing with the Workplace Relations Commission. The Workplace Relations Commission is open to a just transition element in its work because it is slightly different from what would normally be the cut and thrust of industrial relations issues that would arise. The trade unions do not have a difficulty with either Kieran Mulvey as just transition commissioner having a role in industrial relations or compellability with the Workplace Relations Commission but what is there at the moment is not working. If the Minister's position is that it is entirely up to Bord na Móna to engage, and Bord na Móna is an independent body, and if it does not engage, there is nothing he can do about it and our just transition strategy lies in tatters. What is the point if it can simply opt out? That is what the trade unions are saying. We have a responsibility to put a framework in place that compels companies to engage and to ensure there is proper engagement with the trade unions and workers. That simply is not happening and it is not there.

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