Kildare County Council asked to meet with East Midlands Regional Assembly over exclusion from €169 million programme

A Fine Gael councillor has urged Kildare County Council to meet with the East Midlands Regional Authority (EMRA).

Last December, following a Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District (MD( meeting, the Leinster Leader reported that councillors from the MD would write to the Minister for the Environment, Climate, Communications, and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, to clarify the reason why the MD was excluded from the Territorial Just Transition Plan and Programme, a fossil fuel transition programme worth €169 million.

Fine Gael Cllr Mark Stafford and Fianna Fáil Cllr Rob Power made the recommendation, while at the latest MD meeting, held on Wednesday, February 15, Cllr Stafford followed up on this enquiry.

He said that he still does not understand why the MD was excluded.

"I don't think the figures gathered reflect the real situation," he explained.

He was supported in his comments by his party colleague Cllr Kevin Duffy, who said: "We (the MD) are losing a huge opportunity for funding."

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Speaking to the Leinster Leader after the meeting, Cllr Stafford further elaborated: "The (government) report identified County Offaly as the most heavily impacted county but went on to say that places such as Rathangan in County Kildare would be just as heavily impacted given its proximity to the former power plant in Edenderry and the Bord na Móna bogs but Rathangan and also Monasterevin and Newbridge are excluded from the plan."

"I have sought further clarification on the report. The Kildare-Newbridge MD has the highest area of Bord na Móna bog of those areas excluded."

He continued: "Some of the areas included have no bog but due to other economic factors are included.

"I have concerns over findings of a zero score for the Kildare-Newbridge District in terms of loss of employment and zero scores for economic and social themes.

"I have sought a detailed breakdown from the consultants in order to understand the anomalies."

Cllr Stafford also said that the Director of Services has also undertook to seek a meeting with the Chief Executive of the EMRA, who is the lead authority for the implementation of the EU Just Transition Fund.