"We feel let down": Meeting called over 'paltry' Just Transition funding for Offaly

A special meeting of Offaly County Council is to take place this Wednesday afternoon, after local representatives voiced deep frustration and concern over the low level of funding allocated to the county in an €18 million Just Transition grant announcement.

On Friday last, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan announced details of 15 projects in the Midlands that would be sharing in €18 million from the EU fund.

Just two of these projects were Offaly-based. An application from Kilcormac Development Association, for funding towards a Kilcormac Renewable Energy Centre of Excellence, was awarded €294,056, while an Offaly County Council application for a Film Offaly project was funded to the tune of €252,985.

This means a mere 3% of the total Just Transition funding announced last Friday is going directly to Offaly - despite it being one of the counties most affected by the shift away from the industrial use of fossil fuels.

The special meeting of Offaly County Council to discuss the Just Transition issue has been called for 2pm this Wednesday, and the local authority's Cathaoirleach, Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick, said it would include discussion about whether the lack of funding for certain Offaly projects could be appealed.

He said the council and consultants had put a lot of time and effort into Just Transition applications for projects such as the Dalton Centre initiative in Shannonbridge, Rhode Green Energy Park, and Tullamore Enterprise Hub, but these had not been included in the funding awarded on Friday.

"These were all projects that were going to create some level of employment, and there was a lot of work done by the council and by the consultants who helped put the applications together," said Cllr Fitzpatrick.

"We thought these were strong applications for Offaly, which is the epicentre of Just Transition in relation to Bord na Mona and the job losses."

He said the meeting on Wednesday had been convened because "we need to be heard in this county, and we do feel let down by what has happened here."

Last week, it emerged that €30m was to be spent on a network of greenway trails across the Just Transition region, but Cllr Fitzpatrick felt this would not have a major impact in terms of generating jobs.

"The tourism thing is fine, but people will come and go as part of that. This is about trying to create jobs. That's what we're trying to do here," he said.

The council Cathaoirleach noted that Laois County Council had been awarded just under €4 million, to spearhead a 'Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan Pathway for Just Transition', and that a proportion of this funding was likely to benefit Offaly, but that the specifics of this were not yet clear.

Tullamore councillor Tony McCormack, meanwhile, said he was "outraged" at the paucity of Offaly funding in Friday's announcement.

He said a comprehensive range of 17 projects in the county, seeking €8 million in total funding, had been submitted for consideration.

These projects ranged from the establishment of enterprise hubs to job creation services, renewable energy centre, community engagement programs, and training centres, Cllr McCormack said.

"While I extend my congratulations to the successful projects, Film Offaly and Kilcormac Development Association, I cannot ignore the profound disappointment felt by the people of Offaly," he commented.

"Offaly, having historically contributed significantly to the country’s energy sector and economy, has suffered the most job losses. The heart of our towns and villages, have been left decimated."

Cllr McCormack emphasised the role played by Deputy Barry Cowan and Cllr Eamon Dooley in securing Ireland's inclusion in the Just Transition Fund for coal regions across Europe.

"This fund represents an opportunity for revitalisation and economic rejuvenation for counties like Offaly," he added.

But he expressed concern over what he felt was a lack of consistency across the decision-making process, stating that the consultants tasked with the initial review of project submissions were not included in the final decision-making process.

Cllr McCormack also said he had perceived "a pattern of neglect toward Offaly" by Minister Eamon Ryan and the Green Party.

"From withdrawing the link road for the N52 to this paltry allocation, it seems Offaly has fallen out of favour," he lamented. "The disregard for our county is disgraceful."

Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil local election candidate for the Birr Municipal District, Barbara Daly, called for a fundamental review of the Just Transition programme after Offaly secured what she called "a scandalously paltry allocation" on Friday.

The Ferbane-based candidate said the amount of money allocated to Offaly projects from the €18 million total represented "a kick in the teeth for local communities in the areas most deeply affected by the cessation of peat production by Bord na Mona."