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

I had the pleasure of visiting County Offaly late last year and meeting council officials, the people involved in organising these transition fund projects and a number of those who are involved in the projects. Rather than it being a story of a lack of success, what I heard from both the council and the people involved was that this is working. It took time. If I was in here saying the process around the spending of public money did not have every i dotted and t crossed, I would be lacerated. We have done that and are now seeing that those projects are starting to deliver. They will not all survive or succeed but many will.

We are also seeing a transformation and revival of Bord na Móna. There has been a massive increase in investment and significant numbers of new jobs are being created. That is the model to follow. Our Department is working closely with Offaly County Council to ensure it has a key role in managing, monitoring and delivering these projects. That is the right way to go. We are also working with the eastern midlands region on the European just transition plan. I think it is working.

See this speech in context