Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Nolan for raising the matter and the constructive way in which she has brought forward suggestions. I visited County Offaly recently with my colleague, Deputy Clendennen, and Councillor Noel Cribbin, in Edenderry and I was pleased to see lots of good work going on in terms of swimming pool plans, school plans and big work being done on the main street, which I know had caused some temporary disruption for shop owners but the benefit of which they recognise as well.

I want to see central government working with local government, working with Offaly and working with communities in the midlands to make a fair stab here of the Just Transition Fund and to make sure that the benefits are felt, that the bureaucracy is minimised and that we can get things moving as well. We are absolutely committed to a just transition. The aim here is to ensure that no one is left behind as we take action in relation to climate. Deputy Nolan is correct. The midlands is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in this area. That is why we will step up and help too.

The national Just Transition Fund, as the Deputy will be aware, was established in 2020. It was a key pillar of our plan for the midlands to try to support workers, companies and communities affected by the closure of the peat-fired power stations and the end of peat extraction by Bord na Móna. There was €22 million made available to local and community-led projects in eight midland counties to implement innovative plans supporting the transition across a range of activities, whether support for local business, for community development, research, tourism, heritage projects, the development of greenways and opportunities for education, training and re-skilling.

The EU Just Transition Fund programme is providing up to €169 million to support the longer term economic transition of the region arising from the end of that peat extraction and peat-fired power generation. Fifty-six projects have been successful in their application. These included 18 projects in County Offaly.

I take the point the Deputy makes about the need to make sure at an EU level that we are doing all that we can in relation to ensuring that we benefit here in Ireland and that the midlands benefits and County Offaly benefits too. I suggest we reflect on how we can use our Presidency of the Council of the European Union which will take place in the second half of next year to perhaps showcase some of the good work that has been done but also perhaps to showcase some of the challenges that we need to overcome in terms of how such schemes are administered as well. I am certainly committed to working with people in a constructive manner in relation to this as well. I am happy to receive any correspondence or insights from the Deputy in relation to this.

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