Offaly speakers address conference on impact of Just Transition fund
Speakers from Offaly were among those who addressed a Midlands Ireland conference in Abbeyleix which was designed to highlight examples of the impact the EU Just Transition Fund has had on this region.
The conference, entitled “Pathways to Progress: Real Stories, Real Impact”, heard from a number of community leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, and policymakers from across Laois, Offaly, Longford, and Westmeath. It was hosted by broadcaster and journalist Ella McSweeney.
Linda Kelly, Manager at Kilcormac Development Association, spoke about the growth in community-led social enterprises in Kilcormac.
She noted the role that Just Transition funding has played in enabling these initiatives which are creating employment and strengthening the community.
Helen Bracken, of Fox Convert Farm in Kilcormac, also shared how the project provided a platform for small producers.
“We were able to get our product out there at Catex and the National Ploughing Championships... we wouldn’t have had the funding to participate in those events otherwise,” she said.
Michael McDonnell, the operator of Athlone's Viking Boat, tours told the conference how funding from the EU's Just Transition programme had allowed him to switch his boat to an eco-friendly fuel source.
McDonnell, widely known in Athlone as 'Viking Mike', outlined how Just Transition funding had allowed him to transition from diesel to HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil), reducing negative environmental and marine ecological impacts.
Aidan Hynes representing the Poets Cottage Community Café in Camross, County Laois, stated that the investment into the Poets Cottage has "created opportunities for some local employment" and allowed "people in the area to create social connections".
The conference also highlighted the success of cross-sector partnerships, such as the Midlands Flavours food network and STEM engagement initiatives.
Kelly Keogh, STEM Officer in Westmeath County Council, said: "By collaborating across the four local authorities in the Midlands, we have created a unique partnership, working alongside business and education to create a STEM eco-system, which has become the envy of many other counties.
"We are forging a pathway towards future economic development and more sustainable communities, all the while building the digital skillset of the Midlands population."
Barbara Quinn, Programme Manager with Ericsson’s INFUSE programme, noted: "Having that eco-system that we have now built has expanded our potential no end. It has made everybody work closely together—getting industry involved. It’s just amazing what we have managed to achieve.”
MidlandsIreland.ie is a joint initiative of the Local Authorities of Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath. The project is an action of the Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan to 2024. It is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme 2021-2027.
Its objective is to promote the Midlands region as a destination of choice in which to invest, live, work, study and visit.