BORD NA Móna management and unions will meet on Thursday to discuss the implications of the worst peat harvest in the history of the State turf company.
Management says it has ample reserves of harvested turf to supply domestic and commercial consumers over the winter. However, the dismal summer weather has meant just 1 million tonnes of the 3.6 million-tonne peat target has been harvested so far this year.
Head of peat production Paul Riordan said while some harvesting was taking place, “we are not going to get back anywhere near our targets”.
Before the harvest issues, staffing changes were taking place. “Part of that restructuring process is a reduction in numbers on a planned basis over the next number of years,” Mr Riordan said. “That is part of our ongoing restructuring, cost-cutting measures – nothing to do with the peat harvest.”
Siptu’s Oliver McDonagh, chairman of the group of unions at Bord na Móna, does not believe there is any reason for redundancies among the workforce of 2,000 due to the poor yield.
He said Bord na Móna was profitable. “They have had a bad year, but they have had bad years before. This company can recover fully from this and we will work with them in partnership to ensure that we recover, so we see no reason for job losses at this stage.”
Offaly Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen is demanding a meeting with Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte. He said there was a “general fear” among Bord na Móna workers in the midlands.
“There are 800 jobs, 500 full-time and 300 part-time, in this county alone; those people are worried, they fear for their futures, they fear for their jobs,” Mr Cowen added. “We have had a disastrous summer and it is not the first year that that has been the case. I want to know what provisions have been made for this.”
He did not believe Mr Rabbitte was taking the issue seriously. “I may see this writing on the wall but I’m afraid I don’t believe the Minister does. I have contacted him twice on this issue; all I have had is an acknowledgment.”