Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Ireland’s 70-year history of generating electricity from peat will come to an end in just 15 days. As Minister responsible for energy, I was instrumental in bringing about a transition from peat but, under my plan, there was to be an orderly winding down of peat harvesting up to 2026. In the next 15 days, however, two of the biggest peat-fired power plants in the world will stop burning peat and close. The west Offaly power station is set to close tomorrow week and Lough Ree power station is set to close seven days later, on 18 December. This decision will bring forward the closures by a decade and will have very serious economic consequences right across the midland counties. It is equivalent in scale to the closure of the likes of Google in Dublin city.

That is why, 18 months ago, I proposed that the Government bring forward and front-load a bog restoration programme to protect existing jobs in Bord na Móna in the short term, pending the reconfiguration of the company. I am glad that the Government took up my proposal which resulted in the Cabinet approval last week of a €108 million large-scale peatland restoration project by Bord na Móna that will create 350 jobs and protect the jobs of many permanent employees.

However, there is a lack of clarity for the 280 seasonal workers. Will they be re-employed? Under what terms and conditions will they be re-employed? Will their annual earnings be significantly curtailed? These are key questions not only for the staff and their families but also for the wider local economy that is so dependent on the spending power of these employees. Will the Tánaiste provide clarity to these employees on their future prospects within the State company, Bord na Móna, in advance of the closure of the two power plants?

What are the future plans for the power stations themselves? It seems that despite concerns being expressed by the Government's just transition commissioner, Mr. Kieran Mulvey, the ESB is determined to demolish both plants. Mr. Mulvey, in his most recent report, stated, "On the visit of the Just Transition team to both Shannonbridge ... and Lanesborough ... we were impressed by the pristine state of the power stations." These two power plants have at least ten years of operation left. They have already been paid for by electricity customers throughout the country. If they are demolished, it is effectively wasting €176 million of electricity customers' money. This is not in the best interests of local staff, the local economy or the country as a whole and electricity customers in particular who will foot the bill for the demolition of both plants and have to pay for alternative technology to provide replacement stability on the electricity grid.

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