Bord na Mona has reportedly halted proceedings to develop a €60 million biomass plant in the United States.

Sinn Féin's Spokesperson on Climate Action and Environment, Brian Stanley, welcomed the announcement and said the proposal of importing large quantities of biomass to use in power stations in Offaly and Longford was "crazy".

He said: "The carbon footprint on this source of energy would be enormous making a mockery of environmental responsibilities. I have previously raised this with senior management of Bord na Mona and repeatedly questioned the Minister on the proposal to build the US plant.

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"To import the biomass instead of growing this here did not make sense from an environmental or local jobs perspective. It is welcome also the safe guarding of 2,100 Bord na Mona jobs. We must develop an indigenous biomass industry that uses sources of biomass such as willow. This will allow for jobs to be created in the Midlands, where the current peat plants are, to help increase our security of supply and lessen the importation of fossil fuels."

(CD/LM)