Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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625. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the drawing up of a territorial plan for the midlands region which is the first step in securing new EU just transition funding under the coal regions in transition platform; when he expects such funding to become available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13014/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As part of the EU Green Deal package, the European Commission published a proposal for an EU Just Transition Fund, funded under the EU Multiannual Financing Framework (MFF), in January 2020.  The Fund is intended to provide support to the economies, people and the environment of territories facing serious socio-economic challenges deriving from the transition process towards the EU’s 2030 climate targets and a climate-neutral economy by 2050. Under the European Commission’s Next Generation EU package, published on 28 May, it is proposed that the budget for the EU Just Transition Fund would increase from €7.5 billion to €40 billion over the period 2021 to 2027. The proposed allocations to all Member States would increase as a result, with that for Ireland increasing from €29.9 million to €176 million, subject to the outcome of negotiations on the MFF.

The legislative proposal for the EU Just Transition Fund continues to be negotiated at EU level and Ireland is actively participating in these negotiations.

Investments in Member States under the EU Just Transition Fund must be underpinned by a Territorial Just Transition Plan, covering the period 2021 to 2027, which must be approved by the European Commission and implemented within the framework of the EU’s cohesion policy programmes. Work on this plan has commenced in my Department, and this work will also be supported by technical assistance under the European Commission’s Structural Reform Support Programme.

Separately, the EU Platform for Coal and Other Carbon Intensive Regions in Transition, of which the Midlands Region is a member, works as an open forum, convening relevant local, regional and national governments, businesses and trade unions, NGOs and academia, to promote knowledge sharing and exchanges of experiences between EU coal and carbon-intensive regions to enable regions to identify and respond to their unique contexts and opportunities.

While the Platform does not provide funding, membership enables regions to participate in multi-stakeholder dialogue on policy frameworks and financing for successful transformation of the included regions, to share best practice and to avail of support, in the form of technical assistance, for the development of strategies and projects for local regions, focusing in particular on the employment challenges faced by workers affected by decarbonisation. The Platform was re-launched on 29 June as the Just Transition Platform.

The Platform has been providing technical assistance to the Midlands Region, through its Secretariat Technical Assistance for Regions in Transition (START), to undertake a series of preparatory actions and engagements with communities during the course of 2020, including the registration of projects for potential funding under my Department’s Just Transition Fund. The second stage of this call was launched by my Department on 19 June. Applications for funding must be received by 17 July and evaluations of submitted proposals will commence shortly afterwards.