Bord na Móna is an independent commercial semi state company and the redeployment and retraining of former horticulture workers is a matter for the company and so I, as Minister, have no statutory function in this matter.
I have asked Bord na Móna to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
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. This funding is targeted to ensure that nobody is left behind in this necessary transition to a low-carbon future in the Midlands and across the country.
The Department is funding 56 projects in the Midlands through the National Just Transition Fund. The Fund will provide up to €22.1 million in grant funding over the lifetime of these projects, mobilising an estimated €15 million in additional funding to the region. To date, the National Just Transition Fund has disbursed €6.5 million to participating projects.
This funding has enabled local authorities, social enterprises and business groups to implement innovative plans across a range of activities, including re-skilling of former Bórd na Móna workers to participate in the green economy, development of remote-working and green enterprise hubs, construction of greenways, and other tourism and heritage projects, provision of sustainable energy, retrofitting, the circular economy, social and commercial enterprises.