A TD from the midlands has expressed concern over the Bord na Móna announcement of the lay-off of some 200 employees.
Barry Cowan, a Fianna Fáil TD for Laois-Offaly, said that “hundreds of livelihoods in the midlands are left hanging in the balance as a result of Government inaction”.
It is understood that Bord na Móna intends to lay-off around 200 workers on May 1, with a further 200 lay-offs in mid May.
“This would offer a modicum of security to the hundreds of workers facing an uncertain future,” Cowan explained.
“I understand that the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a drop in fuel demand and pricing but instead of assisting the industry, the Government is using this as an opportunity to shut up shop on it,” he claimed.
The TD added: “The peat-fired power stations in Shannonbridge and Lanesboro are both out of commission at the moment and now workers are wondering if they will ever reopen.
This stress and confusion could have been avoided. An Bord Pleanála, aided and abetted by the Government, are still stalling on the peat extraction application which would have seen both of these stations in operation.
“A decision on the application was due on March 18, yet without sufficient reason and without due consideration of the consequences, An Bord Pleanála has said it is extending its timeline for delivery of its decision to May 12,” Cowan pointed out.
“The Government could have sought to amend existing legislation which might have avoided the need for Bord na Móna or other large peat harvesting companies from having to make applications to An Bord Pleanála in the first place. They didn’t and now hundreds of livelihoods are on the line.
“All the while, the report from the Just Transition commissioner Kieran Mulvey sits on the minister’s [Richard Bruton’s] desk. His [Mulvey’s] recommendations are now even more vital and this report must be published immediately,” Cowan concluded.