Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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60. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide an update on the progress of the just transition for former Bord na Móna workers; the number of these workers who attained sustainable employment following the transition of the company; if this employment was equivalent to their former grades at the company; the kind of education and retraining schemes that found jobs for these workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43123/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Bord na Móna is an independent commercial semi state company and the redeployment and retraining of former horticulture workers is a matter for the company and so I, as Minister, have no statutory function in this matter.

I have asked Bord na Móna to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.

The Government is committed to a just transition in the Midlands region and has dedicated significant funding to supporting workers, companies and communities affected by the closure of the peat-fired power stations and the end of peat harvesting by Bord na Móna. This funding is targeted to ensure that nobody is left behind in this necessary transition to a low-carbon future in the Midlands and across the country.

The Department is funding 56 projects in the Midlands through the National Just Transition Fund. The Fund will provide up to €22.1 million in grant funding over the lifetime of these projects, mobilising an estimated €15 million in additional funding to the region. To date, the National Just Transition Fund has disbursed €6.5 million to participating projects.

This funding has enabled local authorities, social enterprises and business groups to implement innovative plans across a range of activities, including re-skilling of former Bórd na Móna workers to participate in the green economy, development of remote-working and green enterprise hubs, construction of greenways, and other tourism and heritage projects, provision of sustainable energy, retrofitting, the circular economy, social and commercial enterprises.