Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2020
783. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on plans to act on the recommendations of the most recent report of the Just Transition Commissioner. [10657/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra784. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if the €6 million allocated for just transition in 2020 has been spent to date; if not, when it is planned to be spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10658/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 783 and 784 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 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
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 has also committed to 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, which I expect to launch in the coming days, my Department will publish a detailed, competitive, evaluation process for projects that have applied under Stage 1. Projects that successfully complete this stage will be invited to enter into a funding agreement with my Department with a view to initial disbursement of funding to projects as soon as possible.
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.
