Cllr Eamon Dooley.

Strategy call to deal with BNM fallout

An Offaly councillor is calling for a number of major initiatives to help deal with the fallout from Bord na Mona's withdrawal from peat production.

Cllr Eamon Dooley is calling for the creation of a special economic strategy for Offaly.
He said this should involve a new investment fund in the county contributed by Bord na Mona as well as levies on wind farm and solar farm developments and the creation of a new multi-agency group to deal with issues including future use of Bord na Mona property in the county.
The Birr area Fianna Fail councillor has tabled a motion for next Monday's Offaly County Council meeting on the issue.
It reads: “In the light of the decision by Bord na Mona to cease peat production within the next decade, I call upon this Council to develop an Economic Strategy for the County to address the employment needs of the workforce, provide training and employment opportunities for those entering the workforce and protect the economic and social fabric of vulnerable rural communities.”
Cllr Eamon Dooley told the Offaly Independent he would hope a similar initiative to the West Offaly Fund (a €3m fund established by ESB in the wake of the closure of Ferbane power station) would be established by Bord na Mona.
And he said there is need for a formal council policy to apply a levy to all wind and solar developments in the county. He suggested 70% of this levy be retained to support job creation projects, and the remainder be applied to local community projects.
Cllr Dooley said a new multi-agency group, possibly involving a local councillor from each electoral aera, a representative of Bord na Mona, Offaly Local Development Company and Offaly Local Enterprise Office should be established to drive forward any new economic strategy.
The future use of former Bord na Mona bog rail lines, workshops and cutaway bogs would also be key to this strategy.