Offaly FF TD hits out at Bord na Mona and Greens

FIANNA Fail TD for Laois-Offaly Barry Cowen has written to Bord na Mona and Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan expressing his concern at what he calls the “slippage in respect for social partnership” being shown over the Derrinlough briquette factory closure.

“I have written urgent letters to Bord na Mona and to Minister Ryan following trade union concerns that the company and the Minister are not following an agreement to consult before putting the facility up for sale,” Deputy Cowen said.

“Such agreements have to be respected and it is concerning that in this Government, social partnership appears to be a low priority. Such consultations need to ensure that union concerns are taken into account, that any move made on the site needs to be based on a new job-creating enterprise emerging there. Any such sale should also be conditioned to cater for commitments made by Bord na Mona to unions, workforce and their communities.”

The TD said it was not the first time he had to raise issues about State companies Bord na Mona, ESB and “even RTE” and their commitment to the success of the State.

“ESB has behaved appallingly in the energy crisis and must take some responsibility for it by its behaviours. When these State companies were established, they were for the public good and were expected to show a balance between making money and contributing to the State.

“Bord na Mona is behaving in this instance as if its mandate is 'More Money'. This episode and others shows a confusion in State enterprises about their local obligations. State lands and properties should be prioritised to uses that create jobs, create communities and create local opportunities.

“State companies, as RTE has proven, are confused in their mandates under Green ministers, they seem to be unable to separate themselves from sharp commercial behaviours and their commitment to the public good.”

In his letters to Tom Donnellan, Bord na Mona chief executive, and Energy Minister Ryan, Deputy Cowen said it had been his understanding that the energy company's management had given the workforce's unions a commitment that the former briquette plant would be used to house an interpretive centre or museum chronicling the history of Bord na Mona in the region.

He acknowledged that Bord na Mona had a duty to return annual dividends to the Government but said it also had a “social duty”.

The public acknowledged the need for decarbonisation to be accelerated and the need for Bord na Mona to diversify into renewable energy.

“Reneging on their word in this case is quite unbelievable. It also represents in my view a reneging on the social responsibilities it has to the region as provided for when set up originally,” Deputy Cowen's letter said.

He said any sale of the former briquette factory should be conditional on the provision and funding of an interpretive centre, provision of an on-site community energy project, and the grant of planning permission for a job-creating enterprise.