Holly Cairns
Question:157. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on the manifesto by an organisation (details supplied) on climate justice. [20130/20]
View answerThursday, 30 July 2020
Questions (157)
Written answers
I noted the launch of the National Youth Council of Ireland Youth Manifesto on Climate Justice on 22 July, 2020.
The Manifesto's Climate Policy aims are also central to the Programme for Government which sets out objectives in relation to Just Transition and Stakeholder Engagement. The Programme notes the moral duty to put social justice at the heart of our commitment to decarbonise and commits to ensuring that people in all parts of the country can capitalise on the new opportunities this Just Transition will bring.
The Government is actively supporting a just transition in Ireland. There is a whole-of-Government approach to addressing this challenge underway, working with local stakeholders, to deal with the challenges facing Bord na Móna in the Midlands region where employees and various contractors and businesses, including local services, depend on the current business model. My Department appointed Kieran Mulvey as Just Transition Commissioner in November 2019 to engage and to recommend the essential elements of a just transition for the workers and communities; his interim report was published in May and is available online.
In addition, up to €11m from the Just Transition Fund will be available for projects in 2020 focusing on retraining workers and to generate sustainable employment in green enterprise in the region, and supporting communities to transition to a low carbon economy.
Another important element in achieving Programme for Government goals is an effective citizen engagement model. This will require : sustained leadership from Government and the Oireachtas; sustained engagement with citizens, sectors, and regions; and protection for vulnerable families and communities least equipped to make the transformation. Work on stakeholder engagement is already in progress at different levels across a number of sectors, including specific youth focused initiatives and my Department is currently developing a Policy Paper for the future of a new engagement model.