Carol Nolan says Just Transition will destroy jobs in Offaly
Carol Nolan addressed the minister about the government's Just Transition process, criticising it as destructive of jobs and local economies. She warned the process is 'unjust', highlighted risks to Offaly and Leash, and questioned when the promised £84 million in EU funds will be available.
Main criticism
Carol Nolan argued the Just Transition escalates a process that cannot deliver its promises and is destroying jobs, calling the approach reckless in the absence of alternatives and permanent sustainable jobs.
Funding concerns
She said she made a detailed submission in February to the consultation on the EU Just Transition Fund and the draft territorial Just Transition Plan, and stressed there is still no clarity on when the fabled £84 million in EU funds will be released.
Legislative and cost objections
Nolan criticised the wider carbon mitigation strategy and cited the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Amendment Bill 2021 as carrying "astronomical" costs, which she stated amount to €180 billion from 2021 up to 2030, and described the legislation as regressive.
Local job impact
She warned that counties such as Offaly and Leash face significant damage to their local economies, asserting Offaly will bear the brunt of 38% of the job losses and that rural areas will disproportionately suffer under the proposed transition.
Conclusion and stance
Carol Nolan said she remains unconvinced by the rationale for an urgent, transformative approach to the rural economy, arguing the case does not "stand up to non-ideological based scrutiny" and accusing decision-makers of ignoring existing research.
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Minister, my position on the so-called Just Transition has been very clear since the process was announced. My major concern is that government policy is destroying jobs by escalating a process that simply will not and cannot deliver what it promises without significant damage to local economies, particularly in Offaly and Leash. And this is reckless of government, particularly in the absence of alternatives and in the absence of permanent sustainable jobs. I have made a detailed submission to the consultation on the EU Just Transition Fund and the development of a draft territorial Just Transition Plan in February. And I outlined these concerns again, which I have done on many occasions since the Just Transition process or the unjust transition process was announced. I might add here that we are still no closer to knowing when the fabled £84 million in EU funds will become available. And I think you need to step up to the mark with that, because under no circumstance should our economies and our counties in Leash and Offaly be suffering because of poor decision making, ill judgment and an imposition of an unjust transition. Of course, the transition process cannot be separated from government's wider carbon mitigation and reduction strategy and the EU's Green New Deal. I would note in particular the astronomical costs associated with the implementation of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Amendment Bill 2021, which costs from 2021 up to 2030 €180 billion. Crazy stuff what is happening here and allowed to go on every day. It remains my view that the piece of legislation is regressive and will only compound the difficulties of counties like Leash and Offaly, who will certainly bear the brunt of the transition process. Offaly will bear the brunt of 38% of the job losses. So I am going to end on that point, but I do remain unconvinced about the entire rationale for the transition process and the so-called need to utterly transform the rural economy based on a calculation of need and urgency. That simply does not stand up to non-ideological based scrutiny. You ignore all the research that is out there.
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