Press release
Minister Ryan secures Cabinet approval to direct significant EU funding to the Midlands region
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, has today secured Cabinet approval for significant EU funding to support the Midlands region as Ireland moves away from fossil fuels.
This funding, amounting to nearly €169 million, will come from the EU's Just Transition Fund. It will be targeted at the region over the coming decade to generate new green jobs, stimulate enterprise, increase sustainable tourism, restore damaged peatlands and alleviate the economic impacts of the transition to climate neutrality.
East Galway, Kildare, Laois, Longford, north Tipperary, Offaly, Roscommon and Westmeath will all benefit from the fund, which aims to address the address employment, economic, social and environmental impacts that come with the move away from peat production and electricity generation from peat.
The plan includes funding for a Centre of Excellence, which will pioneer new research in reducing emissions from organic soils by working with farmers to test new ways of sustainable land management on peat soils. It also includes plans to transform public transport in the region.
Ireland has prepared a Territorial Just Transition (JTF) Plan and accompanying programme setting out the activities the fund will support. The wider Midlands region has been identified as being the area most negatively-affected in Ireland by the closure of peat-reliant power stations.
The EU JTF Programme will focus on:
Minister Ryan said:
"The government is committed to a just transition in the Midlands region, to ensure that no one is left behind as we move away from fossils fuels to a new, carbon-neutral and sustainable future. We are allocating significant, dedicated funding to support workers, companies and communities affected by the closure of the peat-fired power stations and the end of peat harvesting.
"The fund will support a diverse range of innovative projects that will contribute to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the wider Midlands region. They include new enterprise hubs, supporting local business and community development, research and exploratory studies, tourism and heritage projects, development of greenways, and opportunities for reskilling.
"It will also fund a transformative public transport system, prioritising support towards the electrification of Rural Link services, electrification of commercial bus services and EV destination charging infrastructure, to make the Midlands one of the most attractive places in the country to live and visit."
The EU JTF Plan and Programme are due to be formally adopted by the European Commission next month. Further details on the Programme will be available in early 2023.
The EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) Territorial Just Transition Plan sets out the impacts on the most negatively-affected territory in Ireland as we move away from fossil fuels, and identifies development needs for the territory in order to address these adverse impacts.
The EU JTF Programme sets out the investment priorities and proposed allocation of expenditure to address the negative impacts identified in the programme.
As the EU JTF is under 'shared management' (similar to other EU Structural Funds, such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) it must be approved by both the government and European Commission. Formal approval by the Commission is anticipated before the end of 2022.