Bord na Mona fund to benefit Littleton?

Littleton and the surrounding areas could be set to benefit from a portion of a €31million fund announced in the Budget by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, following an intervention from Tipperary's Labour Deputy Alan Kelly.

During the course of his Budget speech, Deputy Kelly raised in the Dáil with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, the need for Littleton and surrounds to be included in the Just Transition Fund which was announced for the midlands where Bord Na Mona workers lost their jobs.

Deputy Kelly (pictured above)  explained to The Tipperary Star this week: “In the budget, the Minister for Finance announced a Just Transition package worth €31m for the midlands and that would be made up of €20m for retrofitting social housing, €5m for peatlands rehabilitation and €6m million for a new community fund to help local businesses.
“I raised, quite forcefully, in my budget speech that this package must include the area around Littleton where the former Bórd na Móna factory closed and will also need to include funding for new jobs to replace those lost by the former Bórd na Móna workers.

“The people of Littleton and surrounds deserve to have their houses retrofitted every bit as much as those in the midlands. Similarity, local businesses need, and should expect, the same supports which will be going to the midlands.
“There is no way I will stand over this Government discriminating against Tipperary in this instance. There is no way that the Government can say that the economies in Westmeath, Offaly or Laois are more important than Tipperary. Bord na Móna jobs were lost and the economy was affected in Tipperary equally as much in Littleton as anywhere else.

Deputy Kelly said that he has since spoken to the department officials who will be administering this funding and put forward the case of Littleton, clearly and forcefully explaining that this area of Tipperary cannot be discriminated against.

“The Department officials told me that no geographical areas have been chosen for this funding yet so I now expect, because of my intervention, that Littleton will be given their fair share of the funding which was announced in the Budget.
“If this turns out to not be the case, then the people of Littleton will know that this Government thinks that the people of the Midlands are far more important to them than the people of Tipperary.

“I’ve helped to bring in the SMG Group to help replace some of the jobs lost in Littleton. It’s now time for the Government to step up to the mark,” Deputy Kelly said.
The former Bórd na Móna plant at Littleton is currently being used as a plastic recycling facility by the SMG group following a major announcement by the company some months ago. Major cross party efforts were engaged to ensure that the plant was suitable for the new company to take up occupancy, with a small number of employees working there at present. However, it is expected than in time expansion will bring more jobs.