Over €2m for three Tipp projects under bog restoration programme

The Bord na Mona facility at Littleton.

Over €2m in funding has been allocated for three Tipperary projects under the Just Transition programme.

It’s part of a total of €108m in State funding being set aside for Bord Na Mona’s large-scale peatlands restoration project.

Just under €1m is going to Energy Communities Tipperary Cooperative, €663,000 to the Littleton Labyrinth project, and €603,000 to Tipperary Energy Agency.

It’s hoped that 350 jobs will be created across the Midlands as a result of the funding.

Minister Eamon Ryan, who is visiting Lough Boora in County Offaly, where he will meet representatives of workers and management at Bord na Móna, said:

“The government decision to commit €108m in funding to the bog rehabilitation scheme for thousands of hectares of peatlands is a major milestone. The potential of our boglands to capture and store millions of tonnes of carbon over the years is phenomenal.

“Bog rehabilitation and remediation is a wonderful example of Just Transition in action, where workers who previously harvested peat for power generation will now be the custodians of our bogs. This project will turn carbon sources into sinks, restore biodiversity and help us meet our climate goals.

“Employing 350 people, it will also be a pilot project for the just transition we need to make as we adapt our society and economy to tackle climate change. I would also like to thank the Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan and our National Parks and Wildlife Service for their role in this project. ”