Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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80. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress made on the application for EU funds to aid affected Bord na Móna workers in their transition into new employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53180/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I am acutely conscious of the impact of the recent redundancy announcement on Bord na Móna’s employees.

The challenge during this decade of transition out of peat is to continue to support those communities and jobs associated with the peat business and to identify and develop new opportunities for employment, particularly in the Midlands.

Bord na Móna is considering its options in relation to an application to the European Globalisation Fund (EGF) for assistance.

The Department of Education and Skills is the Managing Authority for the EGF in Ireland. It is responsible for preparing and submitting applications to the EGF, overseeing the roll-out of supports to eligible workers, preparing interim programme implementation reports and reporting to the European Commission on services and programmes supported by the EGF. I am advised that the Department of Education and Skills is monitoring developments following the recent announcement by Bord na Móna and is assessing the potential for an EGF application in consultation with the European Commission.

Bord na Móna has engaged directly with the Regions in Transition Initiative in Brussels, and has presented on its transition out of Energy peat to one of its recent meetings and is examining options for support of its new business ventures from a range of sources including the Regions in Transition Platform