Carol Nolan attacks just transition amid Midlands fuel poverty
Carol Nolan spoke about fuel poverty and the impact of the just transition on the Midlands, urging an urgent reassessment. She warned that government policy risks large-scale job losses at Bordna Mona and in horticulture and criticised gaps in fuel allowance rules.
Calls for reassessment
Carol Nolan called on the government to demand a total and complete reassessment of the so-called just transition process, describing it as a grave injustice to people in the Midlands. She said the process should be reconsidered and involve Bordna Mona going back to the drawing board and reapplying for a licence to recommence peat harvesting.
Job losses and regional impact
She warned the transition is on the verge of driving hundreds of Bordna Mona workers into unemployment and up to 17,000 people in the horticulture sector into unemployment. Nolan highlighted the Midlands as a region already suffering inequality, with the second lowest rate of disposable income in the state.
Fuel allowance and support gaps
Nolan criticised fuel allowance rules that prevent affected workers from accessing help, saying those who lose jobs will not be eligible for the fuel allowance until they have been on jobseeker's payment for over 15 months. She also pointed out that people receiving the PUP payment cannot accept the fuel allowance, leaving families with little income struggling to heat their homes.
Policy critique and emissions argument
She challenged the policy rationale by noting the country accounts for 0.1% of global emissions and argued it is unfair to expect the Midlands to bear the burden. Nolan said alternative employment and alternative fuel solutions are required and described the current approach as ideologically driven and lacking empathy for workers and communities.
Appeal to local representatives
Nolan urged Midlands TDs to put action behind their statements, warning that words will ring hollow unless followed by practical measures to protect jobs, provide alternatives and address fuel poverty in the region.
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I fully support this motion and I am delighted to speak on the motion on fuel poverty this morning. It is particularly relevant to the region I come from, the Midlands, that the government does not seem to know about or care about. That is the truth and that is certainly what is coming true from constituents to my offices. If we want to talk about poverty then sooner rather than later this government needs to get real and they need to demand a total and complete reassessment of the so-called just transition process which in my mind is a grave injustice to the people of the Midlands. This process is on the verge of driving hundreds of Bordna Mona workers into unemployment and up to 17,000 people in our horticulture sector also into unemployment. And this is because of the harebrained ideas that this government is standing over and willing to support to the detriment of people in the Midlands who are on their knees. The Midlands is a region that has always suffered inequality. It is a region that has the second lowest rate of disposable income in this state and yet you are not waking up and seeing the realities, the harsh realities and the struggles of people and the struggles of workers and the struggles of communities who are being left behind. We have no alternative jobs, we have no alternative fuel and it is absolutely ridiculous to have such an injustice imposed on people and that is what it is. This could be done in a much gradual way when we would have an alternative fuel. In my opinion this reassessment should be carried out by government but it should involve Bordna Mona going back to the drawing board and reapplying for a licence to recommence peat harvesting. We were all of the view, indeed the workers were of the view that they had until 2030. These are people with mortgages, these are people with food to put on the table, these are real people who are being sacrificed because of so-called government policies. But do you realise that this country only accounts for 0.1% of the world's emissions and yet you expect the Midlands to save the planet? And that is the ideology here, it is absolutely crazy. And these workers, I want to make it very clear, they are being let go out of jobs in the middle of a global pandemic. A pandemic and there is no empathy for them. As I have said before in this chamber, the workers, the enterprises and the communities are left behind. There needs to be alternative employment and an alternative fuel. I am calling on all Midlands TDs here today to put their money where their mouth is. Otherwise their statements here will ring hollow. There needs to be a reassessment, an urgent reassessment of the just transition process. I have to say, I find it absolutely ironic that those people who will lose their jobs as a result of the decision made by Board Namona will not be able to access the fuel allowance until they are in receipt of job seekers payment for over 15 months. It is also unacceptable that people in receipt of the PUP payment cannot accept the fuel allowance. This is a complete inability to enter into the experiences of people that have little income and must worry about how they are going to heat their homes. I support the ICTO review of a national policy review on energy. But I also want to say, it is an insult to the people of Offaly who are now going into shops. Workers and families of workers. Thank you Deputy. Thank you Deputy. I am going to go to your colleague.
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