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Departmental Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 May 2022

Wednesday, 4 May 2022

Questions (80)

Carol Nolan

Question:

80. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if his attention has been drawn to the use of Just Transition funding to subsidise the importation of peat moss or the adaptation of facilities to mill peat; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21779/22]

View answer

Written answers

The Midlands region is the first in Ireland to directly experience the negative impacts of the transition away from fossil fuels, with the ending of peat extraction for power generation, and Government has implemented financial measures to combat the negative effects of this transition in the region. Just transition funding has not been provided for the purposes of subsidising the importation of peat moss or the adaptation of facilities to mill peat. The National Just Transition Fund is supporting projects across the wider Midlands region that will have significant employment and enterprise potential in the areas of: business development; education, training and upskilling; development of co-working and enterprise hubs; renewable energies and retrofitting; tourism, heritage and recreation; community development and capacity building; and greenways and walking. 

The Department has finalised grant agreements with 55 projects under the national Just Transition Fund. These projects will see investment of approximately €30 million in the region and will aim to create an estimated 154 direct jobs and 932 indirect jobs. Further details of these projects can be found at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/ed10d-just-transition-fund/

Funding of €84.5 million has also been secured from the EU Just Transition Fund for investment in the longer-term transition of the region over the coming decade. This fund will be complemented by Exchequer funding. The Department is preparing a Territorial Just Transition Plan to support investments under this Fund. This will be submitted to the European Commission for approval during the course of 2022.

The EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) is investing up to €108 million in the Enhanced Decommissioning, Rehabilitation and Restoration Scheme which will create over 350 jobs and will be delivered by Bord na Móna to rehabilitate 33,000 hectares over 82 Bord na Móna bogs. 

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