Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

According to the EU:

The Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) is a key tool to ensure that the transition towards a climate-neutral economy happens in a fair way [a fair way not for some but for everyone in this country] leaving no one behind. It provides targeted support to help mobilise around €55 billion over the period 2021-2027 in the most affected regions.

Frans Timmermans has stated, "We must show solidarity with the most affected regions in Europe, such as coal mining regions and others, to make sure the Green Deal gets everyone’s full support and has a chance to become a reality". My region is a region in transition. That means that it is not the same as every other region in Ireland. It is not the same as Munster or the same as Leinster. It is a region in transition. We have less investment per capitain healthcare and education yet it is okay to say that we can lose jobs willy nilly. There is no just transition for the people who have jobs in those areas and to support their families to make the change.

We know that rural Ireland will be impacted more by the changes that we face. We are willing to face that. Our farmers are willing to do that, but it has to be fair. There must be timelines and consideration about the impacts on areas of disadvantage. Currently, that is not the case.

We have many raised bogs in our area in the west. We have the environments that we are trying to fight for under CAP reform. Our areas, hedgerows and all the other things that we do, such as our extensive farming and eco-schemes, should be counted.Are they being counted in CAP? Bord na Móna is now a climate solutions company. That is fantastic. People are changing their jobs and new roles have been assigned, but how many new roles are there for our seasonal workers? The Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science heard today that the rate of lifelong learning in Ireland was 11%. This means that older people in our communities, and I am guessing especially in the west, are not going back to further and higher education. They will not be able to reskill or upskill and get new roles. I ask that the Minister of State take this into account.