Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 October 2020
27. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications if consideration will be given to increasing the just transition fund by 20% from €6 million to €7.2 million allowing for the use of the micro-loan scheme to incentivise investment on farm for energy generation and conversion of business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29046/20]
View answerThe objective of the Just Transition Fund 2020 call is to fund innovative projects that contribute to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the wider Midlands region, and which have employment and enterprise potential. Funding of up to €11 million is available in 2020, financed by Government through an allocation of €6 million from carbon tax revenue and by an additional €5 million committed by ESB. My Department's call earlier this year invited applications from private, public, and community and voluntary organisations in the following eight counties: East Galway, Kildare, Laois, Longford, North Tipperary, Offaly, Roscommon and Westmeath. On foot of this call, my Department published an initial list of sixteen successful projects on 9 September and additional projects will be approved in the next few weeks. Projects approved for funding under this call must be completed by the end of 2023.
Under the terms of the call, funding of up to 85% of the total cost of a project will be provided to successful applications, which must be in a position to confirm their ability to provide matching funding prior to entering into a grant agreement with the Department. Projects may, if they choose to and if they are eligible, seek funding from the Government's Microenterprise Loan Fund, which is administered by Microfinance Ireland, on behalf of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. It should be noted, however, that this entails a separate application process which is distinct to that for the Just Transition Fund.
