Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The EU just transition fund is a newly established fund for the 2021-2027 period operating within the framework of the EU cohesion policy. The fund is to address the adverse socio-economic effects of the climate transition by supporting the most affected territories and workers and ensuring a fair transition.

Ireland must prepare a territorial just transition plan and accompanying programme for approval by the European Commission to secure access to our allocation of €84.5 million under the fund. I have appointed the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, EMRA, as managing authority for the fund. My Department and the EMRA are jointly developing the territorial just transition plan and programme.

I launched a public consultation on a draft of the territorial just transition plan on 20 December, which was open until 14 February 2022. The draft plan provisionally identifies east Galway, north Tipperary, counties Longford, Laois, Offaly and Westmeath, west Kildare and County Roscommon as the functional territory to be targeted for investment under the plan. Feedback on the draft plan was gathered through an online survey and online workshops. My Department and the EMRA have also held dedicated briefing sessions for Oireachtas Members and members and staff of relevant local authorities in the identified counties. It is planned to publish a report summarising all responses received. Responses to public consultation will be used to develop further and finalise the draft territorial just transition plan before it is sent to Government for agreement and subsequently submitted, together with the EU just transition fund programme, to the European Commission for approval during 2022.

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