Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I appreciate the extent to which the ESB and Bord na Móna were the mainstays of employment in the midlands and how important this is to Laois and Offaly in particular and the region as a whole. Where there is a just transition, it has to be not just for workers and former workers, but for the communities as well. Somebody may get a good package to retire or become redundant but the payroll loss to the town or community can have a huge impact, so we need to see it in the round.

Bord na Móna no longer has a licence to harvest peat. That has stopped and the Deputy knows why that is. That could impact on the horticulture industry and mushroom growers and we are looking for affordable alternatives for those industries.

In terms of what we can do around employment, the Deputy will be aware there is now a just transition commissioner and a specific fund that is being invested in the midlands, particularly because it is the area that is first to experience this transition. My Department will develop a new set of regional jobs plans which will include such a plan for the midlands region. We will put a lot of focus into that, making sure there are new employment opportunities for people in the area.

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