Longford County Council supports six-month extension to Just Transition Fund

There was strong support at last week's meeting of Longford County Council to a proposal from Fine Gael Councillor Paul Ross who called for at least a six month extension to the completion date for the EU Just Transition Fund.

It was agreed after the Legan-based representative's motion that Longford County Council will write to Failte Ireland, Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA) and MEPs in the region to seek an extension to the completion date for the scheme.

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Cllr Ross stated he wants to see the deadline pushed out to March 2026 due to the complexity of the grant and he said due to delays applicants who commenced the process just under two years ago are finding it difficult to get it finished in time.

"I've seen a huge amount of work they've done to get through the application process.

"Numerous people dropped out of the application process because they found it too onerous, too much red tape.

"I think it's important to recognise that there are a lot more tourism projects, a lot more construction projects [to do]."

Cllr Ross said when applicants started the process two years ago August 2026, seemed like a long way away, but now it is only 13 months away and on the horizon.

Cllr Ross said costs have also changed over the last number of years and he believes it is very unfair and a 'huge issue'.
"The reality is the EU will draw back the money if we don't get it spent by next August, going by the current rules and regulations. "Myself and Councillor Garry Murtagh are on EMRA and we have brought it up at EMRA.

"The MEPs have said to go back to us.

"We're saying go back to them in Europe to get this sorted out."

Cllr Ross said it is going to cost people millions of euro if they do not get it sorted out.

"The families that are are putting in some of their own hard-earned money, who are borrowing a lot of money, it would be an awful shock to the whole system if they didn't get finished in time."

Cllr Seamus Butler seconded the motion, which he described as a 'good motion' and 'very timely'.

"The purchase of the old post office on Main Street in Longford is a great move by the local authority.

"But it's just transition funding of approximately €800,000.

"And we have to have that substantially finished by the end of March."

Cllr Butler said they have to get a design team in and make progress but then to get a contractor in mid-winter to finish in three months is just "impossible".

Cllr Sean Mimnagh, who is on the tourism committee, said there are three projects completed, but there is 14 unfinished. .
"They are really running out of time and very quickly running out of road."

Acting Director of Services Michael Nevin, with Responsibility for Tourism, said he supported the motion and Longford has done well from Just Transition with almost €5 million worth of projects with €2.8 million provided to 14 private operations."

"The deadline for the Just Transition Programme is very tight.

"Some of the projects are expected to be concluded by March next year, and other projects that haven't yet received formal offers are expected to be concluded by August next year, which is too tight for many of the projects.

"The hope is that we'll be given sufficient time to realise those projects.

"So we will write to the, with the members' approval, we'll write to EMRA and local authorities and we will write to the MEPs."

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The correspondence will outline that many applicants only received their Letters of Grant Approval in the last few weeks and E-tendering and public procurement is a requirement of the scheme which is a 'slow and methodical process'.