Hundreds of people are protesting in Co Offaly this afternoon as part of a demonstration calling for a 'just transition' for Bord na Móna workers.
Organisers are accusing the Government of failing to deliver good quality replacement jobs as part of the move away from fossil fuels.
Now: massive crowd marching through Shannonbridge to demand a #JustTransition for #BordNaMona workers and communities pic.twitter.com/vKCw5guyoD
— UNITE union Ireland (@UniteunionROI) February 1, 2020
It comes after planning permission to transition the West Offaly power plant from peat to biomass over a number of years - starting in 2020 - was rejected by An Bord Pleanála.
It means the Shannonbridge station now faces closure by the end of this year.
Bord na Móna is also planning to end all peat production by 2027.
The Government announced a €6 million 'just transition' fund aimed at the midlands in last year's budget, aimed at retraining and reskilling workers while helping communities and businesses 'adjust to the low carbon transition'.
However, Pat Phelan, who works for Bord na Móna, said he and some of his colleagues want the same deal other European workers are getting.
Speaking to Midlands 103, he explained: "We want a transition, and we want a transition that's equal to the transition that the coal miners in Spain got.
"I don't think we're asking for a whole lot, because we've given our life to Bord na Móna here."
Today's protest is being backed by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).
ICTU general secretary Patricia King suggested there is "fear and anxiety" across the Midlands because of the current situation.
She argued: “To date, government has borrowed the language of Just Transition but failed utterly to deliver on the substance.
"The workers and communities had already signed up to the transition to a low carbon economy but made it clear it had to happen in a fair manner and that workers and communities would not be left behind."
She added: “That means creating good quality replacement jobs and opportunities to make up for those being lost in peat production.
"That means investing in areas like retrofitting and renewable energy production in order to address that jobs shortfall and to assist with the country’s overall shift to a low carbon economy."
