Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This issue is in response to the impending and accelerated closure of the Derrinlough briquette factory in County Offaly. Our first priority, of course, is to deal with those impacted and their families. I am aware of the discussions that have taken place and that are ongoing on opportunities for redeployment, a rewetting programme, the waste management unit, renewable energy projects and the retraining that may take place under just transition in conjunction with Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board and the university in Athlone.

There are four points I want to make to the Minister of State with a view to his speaking to his colleagues in the Government and the board itself. Any training sponsored by the just transition fund should be on Bord na Móna time rather than workforce time. There is a need to recognise the costs associated with and new travel expenses that will be incurred on redeployment. There is a need to acknowledge that the shift allowance paid in the factory setting should be recognised in the new roles that may be available, without workers being asked to work for 47 hours to earn what was earned in 40 hours. There was an expectation that a new job would have the same pay.

In the interest of the goodwill sought by virtue of the decarbonisation project being brought forward by many years, it is incumbent on the board to insist that the issues in question be taken out of the Labour Relations Commission and brought back to the table, with an agreement reached as soon as possible in order for communities to move forward.

Our intention when the acceleration of decarbonisation became a reality in 2016, rather than 2030, was to ensure funds would be invested to help to create innovation, retrain workforces and communities and offer new opportunities to bring people along rather than challenge them. We fought hard and made difficult decisions to ensure increases in carbon tax revenue would be geared towards addressing fuel poverty and green projects and to assist in the transition of those regions most impacted, especially the one in question.

We have had Government and ESB funds, following closures, of up to €15 million or more. On foot of an interjection by me and local councillors in my county, it was insisted that the then Government seek to include the peat regions among the coal regions eligible for funding under the EU just transition fund. That has been forthcoming and will be announced this week when the administrative element of the distribution is formalised this Friday. Funds made up to €180 million, related to the national development plan, will seek to assist community-initiated projects in conjunction with local authorities and accommodate innovation and enterprise by new and existing industries that have a green tint. The tourism element managed by Fáilte Ireland must be considered in this regard.

While the acceleration continues at pace, the mitigation measures put in place unfortunately have not proceeded at the same rate. That has created some friction in the locality, community, county and region. It is imperative that this be addressed.

Only last week I was communicating with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to seek an increase of 10% to meet the increase in the cost of construction materials associated with a project by Ferbane Food Campus. Initially, up to €600,000 was granted to meet the demands incurred since Covid, with other Departments having done likewise. The Minister informed me it was not possible while at the same time he responded to another Deputy in the House saying €1.5 million in transition funding had been transferred elsewhere prior to the close of last year. That needs to be rectified. New applications, which can be made in the new funding round, should accommodate those caught in this bind. There should be an extension of time for anybody caught in it.

There are other issues concerning community energy projects that need to be addressed, as do the issues of targeted initiatives to address the dependency on solid fuels of many homes in my county and the compensatory measures that have to be put in place in that regard.

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