Fianna Fáil TD Eugene Murphy says that a €250m deal which was put in place to support the Spanish coal-mining industry is exactly the type of initiative that’s needed in the Midlands in light of Bord na Mona’s decision to transition away from its reliance on peat-harvesting based employment.
Last week, Spain’s new Government secured agreement between management, unions and other stakeholders for a €250 million 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 Spanish situation is very similar to that of the Midlands here” said Deputy Murphy. “The numbers losing their jobs in Spain is estimated at just over 600. The expected Bord na Móna direct job losses is in the same range with a similar number of indirect jobs in the region expected to be lost. The agreement in Spain demonstrates that it is possible to make progress on the Paris 2020 targets but without wholescale damage to communities and regions”.
Deputy Murphy claimed that his party has the solution. “Fianna Fáil’s proposal for a Sustainable Transition Forum, underpinned by funding from the EU’s Globalisation Fund, is exactly what the Midlands needs to allow it move away from its dependency on jobs associated with peat harvesting”.
