Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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300. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has met with representatives from unions (details supplied) to discuss the sale of Bord na Móna recycling recently; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23212/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Bord na Móna (BnM) is a commercial State body under the aegis of my Department, established under the Turf Development Act 1998. BnM is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department. The Board and management of BnM are accountable for the strategic direction and management of the organisation. My Department is responsible for the corporate governance oversight of BnM, including the provision of consent relating to certain activities.

In relation to BnM Recycling, the Department was made aware in 2024 that BnM was undertaking a strategic review of this business. BnM informed my Department on 7 February 2025 that after conducting this strategic review, it proposes to sell its shares in BnM Recycling Limited to Irish recycling provider KWD Recycling, a waste collection, recycling and recovery operator in the southwest of Ireland.

Any proposal to sell part of BnM’s business is subject to regulatory approval, including Ministerial consent and Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) clearance. My Department understands that the CCPC has now issued its decision in relation to this proposal. On receipt of a formal consent request from BnM, this proposal will be carefully considered by my Department.

I have responded to correspondence from both SIPTU and ICTU on the matter of the proposed sale of BnM Recycling in recent months, encouraging continued engagement between the parties. I understand that BnM and SIPTU have engaged in a conciliation process under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the WRC, last week, issued a proposal upon which union members will be balloted in the coming weeks. I consider this to be the appropriate mechanism for progressing the matter at this stage.