Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last year the Minister for Finance rightly acknowledged that midland communities felt threatened by the wind-down of Bord na Móna and the closure of ESB power stations in the region. He also stated at that time that it was the duty of Government to ensure that no cohort of citizens, workers, communities or enterprises were left behind by this disruption, a disruption that would hit midland counties like Offaly very hard. Unfortunately, however, following the decision taken by Bord na Móna last week to end peat harvesting and production, that is exactly what has happened. Communities have been left behind. This is especially true for all of those involved in the horticulture sector. They are left behind. The just transition commissioner, Kieran Mulvey, said it was likely to act as the final nail in the coffin of our indigenous horticultural industry. The commissioner also noted that we had solved one problem only to create an entirely new one, namely, that we would from now on have to import horticultural peat product rather than produce it ourselves.

There are echoes of the EU proposal from 2005 for the reform of the sugar industry. These were reforms that eventually destroyed the viability of sugar beet growing in Ireland and put 4,000 growers out of business. The problems now faced by the midlands are a direct result of the decision to escalate the so-called just transition process from ten years to a matter of months. This has guaranteed, contrary to Government commitments, that entire communities are being left behind.

Perhaps communities in Offaly might have been able to absorb this shock if it were not for the many other profound challenges they face at the same time. We have a forestry sector in bureaucratic chaos and we have upcoming EU regulations that will severely limit and in some cases destroy the capacity of agricultural merchants. We also have the Irish grain and feed industry about to be hit with unsustainable tariffs and levies. This amounts to a kind of death by a thousand cuts.

Will the Tánaiste ensure there is an immediate re-evaluation and impact assessment of the just transition process as well as a commitment from this Government to follow through on its stated aim of ensuring that no citizens, workers, communities or enterprises will be left behind? The people of Offaly and the wider midlands area deserve better and nothing less than that.

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