Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley has said that delays in the A5 upgrade project could cost lives.
Speaking after Infrastructure Minister Nicola Mallon said there was a shortfall in her budget for the project, the West Tyrone MP said:
“The Infrastructure Minister must give priority to the A5 when spending her budget allocation.
“Simon Coveney, as Tánaiste, had also given a firm commitment to myself at the Good Friday Agreement committee, that the Irish government would not be found wanting in terms of funding. This commitment was then reinforced in the New Decade New Approach document.
“I would urge the Infrastructure Minister to follow up on this commitment by the Irish government and to prioritise the allocation of her spending towards this executive flagship project, which is crucial to addressing the years of underinvestment and tackling regional imbalance.
“Delivery in the A5 is key to addressing regional inequality.
“It is also necessary in order to improve road safety. This road is currently one of the most dangerous roads on this island. Already too many lives have been lost.
“Minister Mallon has advised there has been an element of spillage on the A5 and A6 projects, with phase 1a of the A5 project from Newbuildings to Strabane, not likely to start until next Spring.
“I had attended the Public Inquiry which concluded in taking evidence in mid March. I am alarmed at the lack of progress from then.
“Delays in this upgrade will ultimately cost lives. I have written to Minister Mallon to request an urgent meeting. I will use this opportunity to reiterate the need for construction to begin without delay."
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Housing Eoin Ó Broin TD has called on the Minster for Social Protection to announce an extension of the Covid-19 rent supplement scheme to the end of 2020. The call comes as figures released via Parliamentary Question show a 20% increase in rent supplement payments since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said:
“New figures released to me via Parliamentary Question show there are now 19,200 people in receipt of the rent supplement payment.
“Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, 3,800 additional household are in receipt of rent supplement payments, with a further 1,400 waiting for their claims to be processed.
“This is despite the governments refusal to promote the scheme and its reluctance to let the public know of the changes they made to the scheme in order to make it easier to access and administer.
“In fact, I had to force the Minister via the FOI process to reveal the content of a Departmental circular that outlined the changes that had been made to the scheme.
“These changes include a significantly shorter application form and applicants must now show that they have lost income due to the pandemic, instead of working less than 30 hours. There is also greater flexibility around the length of tenancy and payment rates.
“It is deeply disappointing that the Minister for Social Protection refused, after calls from SAFE Ireland and other domestic violence organisations, to make further changes to the eligibility criteria for victims of domestic violence who urgently need to source alternative accommodation.
“It is important that renters know about this scheme so they can avoid racking up rental debt that will have to be dealt with post Covid-19. It is clear that the Minister must now extend access to the Covid-19 rent supplement scheme until at least the end of 2020.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty TD has said that commentary in recent days by the Taoiseach and Fine Gael Ministers in respect of low paid workers stands in stark contrast with Fine Gael’s failure to end the rip off in banking and insurance during the Covid-19 crisis.
He said:
“In the past number of days, the Taoiseach, the Minister for Finance and now the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation have refused to offer certainty to workers and families relying on emergency income supports at this time through no fault of their own. These are supports that are required to pay the rent and keep food on the table.
“It is clear that in order to provide cover for scrapping or reducing the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in the coming weeks, Fine Gael have engaged in almost daily attacks on those in receipt of the payment with constant references to low paid workers earning more under the Covid-19 payment.
“They are using anomalies that they created to sew divisiveness and undermine the massive social solidarity that has seen us through the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This attitude stands in stark contrast with Fine Gael’s behaviour when it comes to reigning in banks and the insurance industry, who in the midst of this crisis have been allowed to charge interest on top of interest on mortgage repayments and who are refusing to pay out on Covid-19 related claims.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD has said that parents, families and teachers are completely in the dark when it comes to schools reopening. He has called on the Minister for Education to bring clarity to the situation.
He said:
"Any school I have spoken to in recent weeks has received no contact whatsoever about reopening.
"Even in ordinary circumstances, schools would be in the midst of preparation for the next school year at the moment. Right now, that just isn't possible because schools don't know what policies and procedures they might be expected to put in place.
"The reality is that we know a return to school based learning is important, but that we need to do this safely. We also know that we will have to live with Covid-19 for some time to come and we know a vaccine is not going to appear today or tomorrow.
"In that context, we know that a return to school isn't going to be like the usual start of September return. There are big outstanding questions about how social distancing will be enforced and about capacity in school buildings that are already too crowded.
"Schools need to know how many rooms will be needed and they need to know if they will need additional teachers, SNAs or other staff. If the return to school is only partial, then some element of remote and online teaching will be a part of this too. So it is clear, that teachers and school staff will need support and need information. Likewise, parents will need reassurance.
"But right now they have nothing. No one involved in schools has any idea what they are meant to do to reopen their buildings and ensure that children get the education they deserve.
"The Minister has said that planning is ongoing, but parents and teachers are in the dark. In my view, interim plans need to be published to give schools and parents some chance to plan, and work out what is coming next year.
"A lot of noise has been made about the road map for the economy. Education matters too, and I am calling on the government to deliver a proper roadmap for education."
Sinn Féin MLA Cathal Boylan has expressed frustration that key workers are still having issues regarding accessing medical assessments for licence renewals.
The Newry and Armagh MLA stated:
“Drivers over the age of 45 need to undertake a medical assessment as part of their licence renewal.
“The Department for Infrastructure has tried to get key workers to access assessments through a partnership with the BMA, however drivers continue to have problems in getting their licence renewed.
“Earlier this month I wrote to the Minister to urge her to urgently address this situation, which has gone on for too long.
"I have been informed that the Department is currently looking at enacting EU regulations so that driving licences that expire between February and August 2020 can be treated as being valid for a further seven months.
“Many of these drivers are contributing massively to the COVID-19 response by keeping supply lines flowing. They want to continue doing this but they're struggling to renew their licence through no fault of their own.
"The Minister needs to address this urgently while ensuring road safety is maintained.”
Sinn Féin MLA Declan McAleer has said there must be a fair allocation of the £25 million agriculture and horticulture fund and it must go to the sectors that need it most.
The Chair of the Assembly’s Agriculture Committee convened meeting of the AERA committee on Friday, which was addressed by Minister Edwin Poots and Norman Fulton, Deputy Secretary and head of Food and Farming in DAERA.
Declan McAleer said:
“The announcement last week by Finance Minister Conor Murphy of £25 million to support agriculture and horticulture has been warmly greeted by the sector. This has now placed an onus on the DAERA Minister to develop a scheme that will support the industry, where it is needed most at this time.
“At the meeting on Friday, I stressed the importance of looking at all of the sectors and also highlighted that some sectors such as beef and sheep, which represent 80% of all farms in the north, have average annual incomes below £12,000 and would gain very little benefit from existing COVID schemes such as the Self Employed Income Support Scheme.
“This income base will have plummeted even further since the COVID crisis, with various reports indicating a total supply chain loss for sheep of over £30/head and a beef loss of £240/head due to the lockdown.
“I added that a situation must be avoided whereby some sectors can access maximum support from at least two COVID schemes and other sectors cannot access any.
“Minister Poots acknowledged that he was conscious of the issue of double funding and whilst no decision has yet been reached on how to allocate the £25m fund he was keen to listen to the views of stakeholders, including those of the committee before making any decision.
“The Minister added that it would take a couple of weeks to ‘move on this’ but hoped to have the funds in bank accounts during the summer months.
“The agri-food and horticulture sectors have taken a severe hit during the COVID lockdown and this will be very difficult to recover from.
"The AERA committee will also be listening to sectoral opinion to inform our views on this scheme and while this £25m fund will not solve all of the issues, it is very welcome but must be directed to where it is needed most and allocated in accordance with the department’s equality duties.”
Sinn Féin Seanad spokesperson Workers Rights Paul Gavan has called on the Irish Contract Cleaning Association to immediately honour a 40 cent per hour pay increase to thousands of contract cleaners across the State.
The cleaners, many of whom work as front line workers in hospitals in the battle against Covid-19, were expecting a 40 cent pay rise at the beginning of March, which would have brought their hourly rate of pay to just €11.20 per hour. However, according to SIPTU who represent these workers, contract cleaning companies have reneged on the pay rise which had previously been “agreed on proposal”.
Senator Gavan said;
“The decision to withhold this pay rise simply beggars belief. We have contract cleaners putting their lives on the line in hospitals throughout the country, who get paid just €10.80 an hour. One of those workers has already lost his life to Covid-19 with hundreds more infected.
"Their union, SIPTU, had negotiated a 40 cent increase in good faith with employers. I now understand that the Irish Contract Cleaners Association are refusing to implement this pay increase.
“Over the past 5 years SIPTU have managed to secure successive Employment Regulation Orders to begin to lift wages from just above minimum wage level. This year many more people have become aware of the incredible work done by these contract cleaners, and the real value of the work they do.
"People will be shocked to hear that employers have chosen this time, just as we are trying to win the battle against Covid-19, to refuse a pay increase to our front line workers who are playing such a key role. Apparently it is ok to applaud these workers, but heaven forbid they get a raise in pay from their current rate of €10.80 per hour.
“The Irish Contract Cleaners Association, which represents all of the big cleaning Companies in this State, need to immediately honour the 40 cent increase, backdated to March and apologise to their employees.
“This issue highlights again what happens when good public jobs are privatised. Cleaners employed directly by hospitals are paid at least €3.20 an hour more than those employed by private for profit cleaning companies and also have pension and sick pay benefits.
"There needs to be a major review of these privatised services with the aim of bringing them back under direct hospital contracts. This would not only be better for the workers but cheaper for the taxpayer too.”
The decision by the Court of Appeal to uphold a judgement by the High Court that refused the family of Seamus Ludlow the right to an inquiry into the Garda handling of the murder was ‘another disappointing day for the campaign’, Sinn Féin TD for Louth Ruairí Ó Murchú has said.
Teachta Ó Murchú said;
“The decision by the Court of Appeal shows the court does not want to encroach on the powers of the Oireachtas, so the pressure now needs to be put on in Leinster House to ensure that the next government establishes a commission of inquiry.
“I have spoken to the Ludlow family and of course they are upset by the decision, but not surprised by it.
“The suspects, some of whom were serving members of British armed forces at the time of the killing, were identified by the RUC in subsequent years, but no charges have ever been brought. The case is one of a large number where collusion is strongly suspected.
“I admire the Ludlow family for their fortitude and tenacity in this campaign.
“They have been campaigning for justice for many years and they intend to continue that by using multiple means to bring a just conclusion.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. It is very unfair that there has not been more support from successive governments to date and I hope that this family reaches the truth behind this brutal killing.
“They are in discussions with their solicitors about their legal options going forward.
“The family has been failed many times by the Gardaí and successive governments over many years and they deserve the justice that has so long been denied to them’.
“The government should now move to implement the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Communications, Climate Action and the Environment David Cullinane TD has said that the lack of Health and Safety Authority inspectors is a matter of grave concern.
He has questioned why there has been no clarity on the number of additional inspectors that have been alluded to this week.
He said:
"The Health and Safety Authority have been given a huge task to monitor and enforce compliance with public health advice in the workplace. This is a massive task, on top of their usual workload.
"There has been much made of the outbreaks of Covid-19 in meat factories, with numerous clusters and over 800 workers in plants affected by Covid-19.
"This is a very worrying time for workers and their families. As more and more businesses open up, we need to make sure that standards are being met and that guidelines are being followed. To do that we need a proper workplace inspection regime in place.
"It was revealed early in the week that the HSA has just 67 field inspectors to engage in this work. I and others have made it clear that this number needs to be significantly increased for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"On Tuesday, the Fine Gael representative with whom I was debating on Prime Time on RTÉ said that there would be 'hundreds of additional inspectors' coming on board in the coming days.
"It is now the weekend, and there has been no clarity on this matter. This is not good enough, and is in fact very worrying. The government needs to come clean on its plans.
"The vast majority of employers will do their utmost to ensure the safety of workers, but it is imperative that the HSA has the means to ensure proper enforcement so that that workers are protected as they return to their place of work."
Sinn Féin MLA Carál Ní Chuilin has said it’s regrettable that the Belfast Trust has been forced to relocate residents from Clifton Nursing Home, but necessary to protect the most vulnerable.
The move follows a number of inspections by RQIA amid concerns about the running of the North Belfast Care Home.
Carál Ní Chuilin said:
“It’s regrettable that the Belfast Trust have been forced to relocate residents from Clifton Nursing Home following inspections from RQIA, following grave concerns about the running of the home.
“This move is absolutely necessary to ensure that our elderly and vulnerable are looked after and receive the highest level of care.
“The Belfast Trust must ensure that residents and their families are kept fully informed during the relocation process. I welcome their intervention and this will provide reassurance to the relatives of the residents.
“Given the spread of Covid-19 across our care homes and wider society, the health and safety of residents must be paramount and all action possible must be taken to protect them.”
Sinn Féin TD Darren O’Rourke has today called for more robust safety measures to be introduced for our ports and airports to help stop the further spread of Covid-19 in Ireland.
He said;
“I welcome the introduction of the mandatory completion of the Public Health Passenger Locator Form today, but it should not have taken this length of time to introduce this measure.
“The government have been well behind the curve in ensuring proper checks at our ports and airports, and while other countries have been installing temperature checks and even full testing procedures on arrival, they have been content with handing out an optional form.
“This extraordinary pandemic requires a far more robust response.
“The fight against Covid-19 here has come at a huge cost so far. A laissez-faire approach to travellers arriving into Ireland could put the progress made to date into jeopardy. The weeks and months ahead will be hugely important.
“Therefore, Sinn Féin believe additional measures should be introduced to help mitigate the risk of the Covid-19 arriving into Ireland from abroad.
“Two groups, the International Air Transport Association and Airports Council International have put forward a number of proposals that we believe should now be considered.
“One of these is temperature screening for those entering and leaving the island, which we believe should now be introduced. We fully understand this will not catch every case of Covid-19, but taken in combination with other measures, it will contribute to the effort.
“Temperature screening can also act as a deterrent for those thinking of travelling who may be unwell and provide a level of reassurance to other members of the travelling public.
“While some airlines have now introduced their own requirement on the wearing of face coverings on flights, we believe this should now be introduced for all those flying into and out of Ireland.
“The collection of more detailed information on passengers, for the purpose of contract tracing, should also be included in an expansion of measures.
“Those coming into Ireland should be assessed as to the risk they pose of carrying COVID-19, and whether they need to be medically quarantined or be provided with a place to isolate for 14 days if they cannot show they have appropriate arrangements in place. Such measures have been introduced in other countries so there is no reason why it has not been done here already.
“No single action can eliminate the dangers of the virus arriving into Ireland going forward, but introducing a range of smaller procedures in our ports of entry can help mitigate the danger.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Ryan Murphy has contacted the Department of Health and the Public Health Agency and urged them to launch a campaign on the dangers of inhaling nitrous oxide.
Speaking the North Belfast Councillor said:
“In recent weeks our representatives have been contacted by concerned community activists and parents regarding the increased number of young people inhaling nitrous oxide.
“The inhaling of gas can pose very serious health risks.
“I have contacted the Department of Health and the Public Health Agency to seek clarification on what dangers come with the inhaling nitrous oxide.
“I have also requested that the Department of Health and Public Health Agency undertake a campaign to communicate these dangers with the public.
“The health and well-being of our young people is an absolute priority for myself and Sinn Féin.
“I am committed to doing all that I can to protect and educate young people on the dangers of solvent abuse.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs Seán Crowe TD has expressed his mounting concern after reports of a Basque political prisoner been hospitalised while on hunger and thirst strike.
The Dublin South West TD said:
“I am seriously concerned at reports that political prisoner Patxi Ruiz has been moved from prison to an outside hospital after being on a hunger and thirst strike for a number of days.
“We reiterate the Basque political party Sortu’s condemnation of Patxi’s treatment and that of his fellow political prisoners by Spanish prison authorities as being ‘harsh’ and ‘inhumane’.
“The Spanish administration must immediately move to resolve the issues at the heart of this situation before Patxi’s condition deteriorates further.
“We are now almost a decade into a peace process in the Basque Country and it is way past time that the Spanish government commenced a process to address outstanding issues regarding a lasting peace settlement; including the issue of Basque political prisoners.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Communications, Climate Action and the Environment David Cullinane TD has welcomed the publication of the first report by the Just Transition Commissioner Kieran Mulvey today.
He has said, however, that he has concerns about the level of funding being provided to ensure that workers are protected and projects are implemented.
He said:
"This year has been a tough one for workers, families and communities in the Midlands, with 230 temporary job losses at Bord na Móna.
"I welcome the publication of today's report by the Just Transition Commissioner Kieran Mulvey in the hope that jobs can be saved and a suitable plan for the Midlands put in place.
"This is a lengthy report and deserves due consideration, and it is important for Minister Richard Bruton to appear before the Dáil specifically to deal with the contents of this report.
"Covid-19 restrictions will inevitably delay the rollout of many schemes. We need to ensure that any delay in finding alternative sources of employment for workers has to be met with a pause in redundancies and job losses. It is vital that the transition for any worker is not from a job to the dole queue.
"I also have concerns about the level of funding being provided to ensure that workers are protected and that projects under the Just Transition plan are implemented quickly and speedily.
"€31 million is a start, but it remains to be seen whether this is enough to ensure the plan is implemented. A commitment to a further €6 million from the ESB is welcome, and further promises and calls for additional investment need to be delivered upon.
"A Just Transition must be at the heart of our move to a more environmentally sustainable economy, but ensuring that workers and communities are at the heart of this must be central to moving forward.
"Sinn Féin will give the report full and fair consideration, but this will ultimately come down to delivery and will be judged by how many Bord na Móna and ESB jobs can be maintained in existing and new green enterprises."
Sinn Féin MLA for South Antrim, Declan Kearney, and Junior Minister in the Executive Office, has expressed his shock at the sight of a 500m stretch in the Crumlin River almost running dry.
After visiting the site and observing the vast majority of the water from the Crumlin River being diverted towards a local fish farm, Declan Kearney stated that serious questions need to be asked of the relevant agencies with responsibility for our waterways about the policies which relate to this process.
Speaking after visiting the river bed and surrounding river bank earlier this week, Declan Kearney said:
“The drastic reduction in flow to a half kilometre stretch of the Crumlin River between the Mill Road and Ballydonaghy Road is extremely concerning.
“I visited the site with members from the local angling club who have reported this happening in recent years due to the abstraction of water from the river for a nearby fish farm.
“Notwithstanding our recent dry weather period, the comparison in flow between the rest of the river and this particular stretch is shocking. I was able to leave the river bank and walk entire sections of the river bed due to the complete dearth of water flow.
“If this was happening along the open stretch of the river in the Glen there would be a public outcry. However, this stretch of the Crumlin River is quite concealed and not regularly visited by local people.
“Very serious questions need asked about the abstraction policy which has effectively caused this stretch of the Crumlin River to run dry.
“I will be contacting both the Environment Agency and Inland Fisheries to ascertain how such a high level of abstraction from this point on the Crumlin River can be justified.
“The current Departmental policy and associated water abstraction is undoubtedly having devastating implications for the eco system of the Crumlin River in terms of preserving aquatic life, including the fish in the river, the water bound insects which they feed on, as well as the local bird life which depends upon a sustainable, habitat around the river bank.
“As we continue to live with a global climate emergency, it is totally inexcusable that such avoidable destruction to our local rivers should be happening."
Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has called on Government to increase direct financial support for the SME sector, warning that the low level of support given to SMEs risks the permanent loss of tens of thousands of jobs.
Deputy Doherty repeated his call for a more ambitious recovery package for SMEs; including direct grants, an extension of the commercial rates break and zero-interest loans.
Teachta Doherty said:
“Under the Restart Grant which opened today, only businesses with rateable premises can apply, with grants worth only the commercial rates they had paid in 2019.
“For so many businesses, this falls far short of the support they need to survive this crisis and reopen.
“I wrote to the Minister for Finance and Minister for Business Enterprise & Innovation on May 13th calling on further supports to be rolled out for small businesses through direct grants, an extension of the commercial rates break and zero interest loans.
“As ISME, IBEC and others have noted, this Government is lagging far behind other European countries in its financial support package for SMEs.
“Take up in its loan schemes has been extremely low while the grants provided in today’s Restart Fund are too small. The Government has been slow to act and done too little to support small businesses.
“The consequences of their inaction could be severe, with tens of thousands of jobs permanently lost.
“Fine Gael has done little to support our SMEs in their 9 years in power. Their refusal to provide adequate financial supports to the SME sector now risks their very survival."
Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan has expressed serious concern that a Basque political prisoner has been moved to hospital after a number of days on a hunger and thirst strike as a result of ‘inhumane treatment’ by Spanish prison authorities.
The West Belfast MLA said:
“I am seriously concerned at reports that political prisoner, Patxi Ruiz, has been moved from prison to outside hospital after being on a hunger and thirst strike for a number of days.
“We reiterate the Basque political party, Sortu’s condemnation of Patxi’s treatment by Spanish prison authorities as being 'harsh' and 'inhumane'.
“The Spanish administration must immediately move to resolve the issues at the heart of this situation before Patxi's condition deteriorates further.
“We are now almost a decade into a peace process in the Basque Country and it’s time the Spanish government commenced a process to begin releasing all Basque political prisoners.”
Sinn Féin Party Group leader on Belfast City Council Ciaran Beattie has welcomed cross party support for his proposal to provide a full wage to furloughed casual council staff.
Speaking Councillor Beattie said:
“Belfast City Council has made the decision to place casual workers into furlough due to the financial pressures of COVID19 on the council.
“In line with the furlough scheme, these workers were set to be paid 80% of their salary.
“However, I am delighted that there has been cross party support for the Sinn Féin proposal that will ensure workers receive 100% of their wage with the Council topping up the other 20%.
“In addition to the devastating impact on many families and communities, this public health emergency has also placed enormous financial strain on workers and families.
“There is an onus on employers to ensure the maximum level of support for workers and their families at this difficult period.
“Sinn Féin will continue to defend workers and families across this island during this pandemic and into the future.”
Sinn Féin MLA Sinéad Ennis has welcomed the publication of a Framework from SportNI which would support the sports sector returning to sport in line with the Executive’s Five Step Plan.
The party’s sports, arts and culture spokesperson said:
“I welcome the publication of this Framework from SportNI which will support our sports sector to return to sport in line with the Executive’s Five Step Plan.
“This Framework will enable sporting organisations to develop their own return to training and playing and provides for all sports, from grassroots level to high performance sport and professional athletes.
“We all want to see a return to sport and physical activity but is vitally important that as we emerge from lockdown that we do so in a phased way in line with scientific and medical advice.
“I would urge everyone to comply with the direction of their respective sporting organisations.”
Sinn Féin TD for Laois/Offaly Brian Stanley has called for the Midlands to be designated as a key energy hub as part of a Just Transition strategy, and for a major stimulus package to be provided in the region to support Bord na Móna and the ESB to provide quality green energy jobs.
He was speaking following the news that the government will be presented later today with a report by the Just Transition Commissioner recommending the Midlands become a vital energy hub.
He said:
"Sinn Féin has long campaigned for the Midlands to become the heart of Ireland's renewable energy sector as part of a Just Transition strategy.
"It is essential that Ireland significantly increases its production of renewable energy and the three power plants in the Midlands offer an opportunity to do just that.
"Due to their geographical position, each power plant is strategically well placed on the electricity grid to take advantage of renewable energy production.
"I therefore welcome the news that the Just Transition Commissioner will recommend later today that the Midlands should become a vital energy hub and that urgent action should be taken to protect jobs at Bord na Móna.
"What Sinn Féin has been calling for is a long-term plan to convert the ESB and Bord na Móna plants to focus on biogas, biomass, solar and wind creation.
"Bord na Móna should continue to operate Edenderry, but it must convert to 100% biomass. Shannonbridge should be retained by the ESB and move into biogas and biomass, while also acting as a connection point for solar and wind energy. Lough Ree should focus on electricity creation though similar sources.
"We must also begin to transition workers away from brown and into green energy, and that is why Sinn Féin is calling for the Mount Lucas Training Centre in Offaly to designated as a centre for excellence in national apprenticeships and training in energy efficient construction and retrofitting skills.
"We also want to see additional finance allocated for the re-wetting of bogs which will provide Bord na Móna with an extra source of revenue while providing quality jobs in the area.
"It is vital that a Just Transition stimulus package is also provided in the coming months."
