Just Transition Commissioner

Wednesday, 27 May 2020

Questions (716, 717)

Jack Chambers

Question:

716. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has met with the Just Transition Commissioner between 1 March and 7 May 2020. [7223/20]

View answer

717. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the just transition measures have been progressed to assist workers at Bord na Móna. [7336/20]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment

I propose to take Questions Nos. 716 and 717 together.

I published the progress report of the Just Transition Commissioner, Mr Kieran Mulvey, together with an initial response of the Government to the Commissioner’s report and progress update on relevant measures, on Friday 22 May.

The Commissioner’s report reflects a comprehensive engagement with relevant stakeholders in the region, including local community organisations, Bord na Móna, ESB, the Midlands Transition Team, Local Authorities, public representatives, and relevant trade unions and workers' representatives. The report sets out the Commissioner’s analysis of the challenges facing the Midlands region, and for Bord na Móna workers and their families and communities, arising from an accelerated exit from peat harvesting. The report also contains a number of important recommendations. The Government is already acting on a number of these and is committed to preparing a detailed implementation plan to address the remainder. A copy of the report and Government's initial response is available on my Department's website at dccae.gov.ie.

I have met the Just Transition Commissioner on a number of occasions since his appointment by me in November 2019, including most recently on 16 March and 12 May, both of which took place by tele-conference. At these meetings, the Commissioner took the opportunity to update me on progress in his work and to brief me on the recommendations contained in his report, respectively.

The Government has committed significant resources in 2020, through allocating a portion of the additional carbon tax revenue to be raised on foot of Budget 2020, to measures to support the delivery of an effective just transition for the Midlands. This includes €20 million for a new energy efficiency retrofitting scheme to be focused on the Midlands, €5 million for peatland rehabilitation outside of the Bord na Móna estate and €6 million for a dedicated new just transition fund with ESB agreeing to contribute an additional €5 million to this fund. The Government is also examining measures to support a much higher level of bog restoration on Bord na Móna bogs and to provide for a continued role for existing Bord na Móna workers on these bogs.

In relation to the Just Transition Fund, I have now launched a first call for proposals for funding. Stage 1 of accessing the Just Transition Fund is to register your project with the Midlands Regional Transition Team and START (Secretariat Technical Assistance to Regions in Transition) on www.midlandsireland.ie. In Stage 2, my Department will launch a detailed evaluation process for projects that have applied under Stage 1.

I have previously set out five key priorities for this fund as follows:

- retraining and reskilling workers to assist local communities and businesses in the Midlands to adjust to the low carbon transition;

- proactive communications with affected communities and other stakeholders in the region and between local communities and the relevant national institutions;

- best practice sharing networks and frameworks;

- the early development of local transition plans, with local communities at the core of plan development, based on economic analysis and local scoping of transition impacts and the opportunities it presents, acknowledging that the needs of individual areas across the Midlands will differ; and

- innovation and investment proposals to generate sustainable employment in green enterprise that do not come within the ambit of the four Project Ireland 2040 Funds, or the State’s other investment programmes.

Question No. 718 answered with Question No. 707.