I propose to take Questions Nos. 43 and 51 together.
The Government is committed to a just transition in the Midlands region and has dedicated significant funding to supporting workers, companies and communities affected by the closure of the peat-fired power stations and the end of peat harvesting by Bord na Móna. The Government approved funding of €108 million for Bord na Móna’s large-scale peatlands project to rehabilitate 33,000 hectares of peatlands. This project is seeing Bord Na Móna reassign employees from peat harvesting activities into rehabilitation operations while supporting the natural environment and biodiversity of the peatlands.
In 2020, following a public procurement process, Bord Na Móna were engaged by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to project manage, provide other professional services, and undertake restoration works within the designated raised bog network.
Since its appointment in April 2020, Bord Na Móna, overseen by a project working group, has undertaken significant preparatory works in advance of restoration measures at 9 project sites in the Midlands region, with a further 5 raised bog special areas of conservation to form part of this year’s programme.
Combined, these schemes will support 350 jobs - taking seasonality into account, this equates to 230 full-time equivalent roles. Of the 350 jobs, approximately 330 will be from the existing workforce.
To date across counties Galway, Meath, Kildare, Westmeath, Offaly, Roscommon, Laois and Longford I'm advised that 152 jobs have been assigned. This is an increase of 47 posts since May 2021. This number will continue to increase through the summer.
County
|
Jobs to date
|
Galway
|
27
|
Meath
|
0
|
Kildare
|
10
|
Westmeath
|
4
|
Offaly
|
87
|
Roscommon
|
5
|
Laois
|
4
|
Longford
|
15
|
Totals
|
152
|