Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill seeks Spanish solution to replace lost Bord na Mona jobs

Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill has said that the €250m deal to support the Spanish coal mining industry as it comes to an end is exactly the type of deal that the North Tipperary area needs to help it transition away from its reliance on peat-harvesting employment.

Last week, Spain’s government secured agreement between management, unions and other stakeholders for a €250m deal that will see investment in Spain’s northern Asturias, Aragón, and Castilla y León regions and support for miners who may see their employment end.

"The deal covers Spain’s privately owned mines and mixes early retirement schemes with environmental restoration work in addition to finance to help re-skill younger workers for new and emerging industries," he said.

The Thurles-based TD said that the Spanish situation was similar to that of North Tipperary, where, last year, the Littleton bog closed with the loss of 70 jobs.

"With the expected loss of hundreds of Bord na Móna jobs in the Midlands, I think a Sustainable Transition Forum is needed to support local communities and jobs," he said. “The agreement in Spain demonstrates that it is possible to make progress on the Paris 2020 targets but without the wholescale damage to communities and regions."

The TD said that his party's proposal for a Sustainable Transition Forum, underpinned by funding from the EU’s Globalisation Fund, was what North Tipperary and the Midlands needed to allow it move away from its dependency on jobs associated with peat harvesting.

"The question, for me, is not how do we keep every single job, but how do we replace these jobs with well-paying, sustainable jobs that will keep our communities thriving and prosperous. That’s the challenge, but it’s a challenge that can be overcome, and Fianna Fáil will not be found wanting," said Deputy Cahill.