'Fears' in Longford that 'money will not be spent' unless deadline is extended

A Fine Gael councillor has submitted a motion calling on Longford County Council to write to Fáilte Ireland, EMRA and MEPs to seek an extension to the completion date for the EU Just Transition Fund of March 2026.

Cllr Paul Ross, whose motion is on the agenda for this week's local authority meeting, has asked them to write to 'Failte Ireland, EMRA and our MEPS to seek an extension of at least six months to the completion date for the EU Just Transition Fund of March 2026'.

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Cllr Ross is seeking an extension 'due to the complexity of this grant' and the delays in the process applicants are finding it difficult to get finished in time.

He said if applicants could have an extension this would ensure that the full funding would be drawn down and that the EU should recognise this fact.

“The biggest fear is that the money will go back to the EU and be unspent if they are not successful and get to finish it on time. and it's major, major issue because it's a very tight deadline."

The Just Transition Fund in Ireland was introduced in 2020 as the National Just Transition Fund, with a focus on the Midlands region to create alternative employment following the cessation of peat harvesting.

The scheme provides up to €84.5 million for Ireland (with matching government funding), and it was formally adopted in December 2022, with activities rolling out from 2023.

Cllr Ross said the Just-Transition Fund started as a fund for communities and many tourism and recreational-related projects.
"But what's happened since is you have a number of successful applicants who are getting large sums of money, €300,000 on this sort of thing," he added.

The Legan-based councillor said there are a few people in his area that are building projects such as holiday homes and pet farms.

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"It's now July and the actual successful applicants are coming to me and saying that they're going to get it very hard [to meet the deadline].

"They've only got their ducks in a row in the last few weeks but they have been told they have to finish by next March, and have the money drawn down by next August, which is 12 months away.

"And some of these are quite large construction projects and as we all know at the moment, it's very, hard to get a builder."