Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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120. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there is a route for a college (details supplied) which offers retraining and upskilling services, to avail of Just Transition funding to assist in the development of its campus and the construction of a new teaching block; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22240/23]

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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121. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if there is a route for Just Transition funding to be made available to an activity centre (details supplied) to assist in its plans for the development of an astroturf floor which will provide an indoor area for leisure and sporting activity for all ages within the community and also the wider west Offaly community, through collaboration with the local areas of Doon, Pullough and Tubber; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22243/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 121 together.

The Programme for the EU Just Transition Fund was approved by Government and adopted by the European Commission in December 2022.

The Programme aims to address the long-term economic transition of the Midlands, following the end of commercial peat extraction and peat-fired power generation, incorporating €84.5 million of funding from the EU Just Transition Fund for the period 2021 to 2027. When national co-financing is included, this new Programme will provide for investments of up to €169 million. 

The programme, which will be managed by the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, will be delivered in cooperation with a number of different Departments and Agencies, focussed on three priorities:

Priority 1: Generating employment for former peat communities by investing in the diversification of the local economy by supporting productive investments in enterprise, SMEs and community actions, focus­ing on sectors and activities which can address the economic challenge of the transition. This priority includes support for the development of tourism enterprises, bioeconomy initiatives, and for the implementation of Local Economic and Community Plans and Regional Enterprise Plans .

Priority 2: The restoration and rehabilitation of degraded peatlands and the regeneration and repurposing of industrial heritage assets to enable the transition towards climate-neutrality while also fa­cilitating the diversification and modernisation of the economy of the Territory. This priority includes support for wetlands restoration, tourism trails network developments, and work on farm peat soils. 

Priority 3: Providing former peat communities with smart and sustainable mobility options to enable them to benefit directly from the green transition by supporting clean, green mobility to build regional attrac­tiveness and support economic development. This priority includes support for the electrification of rural link services, electrification of commercial bus services, and the installation of EV charging infrastruc­ture.

It is planned to launch calls for proposals for individual schemes during the course of this year. Allocation of funding through each scheme under the programme will take place in accordance with the scope and terms of individual schemes. When available, information on how to apply for funding under each scheme, including which organisations are eligible to apply, will be published by the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly on www.emra.ie/eu-jtf/ and by relevant partner Departments and Agencies.