Bord na Móna is expected to confirm plans this morning that will see the loss of around 500 jobs in the coming years.

The redundancies are expected within the company’s peat harvesting business over the next decade.

It is part of the company’s move towards decarbonisation and its plan to end its peat for energy purposes business by 2030.

The expected announcement has led to concerns that those who lose their jobs in the coming years will struggle to find replacement work in the area in the future.

Workers have been aware of the impending cuts for some time.

The news has led to fears for communities in the midlands that have been heavily reliant on Bord na Móna for jobs in the past.

Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen said the plant has been providing rural employment in the Midlands since the 1930's – and called on the Government to ensure supports are in place in the coming years.

“It is a grave day for the midlands insofar as the job losses will have a huge impact on families and impact on whole communities,” he said.

“There is the process of decarbonisation being undertaken by Bord na Móna over the next ten to 15 years.

“There is also an obvious responsibility on Government not to sit on their hands and to cater for the repercussions.”

He said there are “many diversifications, whether it be in wind in solar, in aquaculture” that Bord na Móna can implement to grow the business sustainably and create jobs.

He called on the Government to seek EU funding and use a portion of carbon tax revenue to provide supports in the region.

SIPTU Energy sector organiser Willie Noone said the job losses will affect whole communities.

He said measures must be put in place to protect workers' livelihoods.

"There are a lot of families that worked in Bord na Móna," he said.

"There are brothers and fathers and sons from the same households in the company - so it is going to have a detrimental effect.

"At this moment in time it is very hard ot see those jobs being replaced in a time-frame that is adequate.

"Also we have concerns regarding the quality of jobs that may become available. There is no point in having jobs for jobs sake, you have to have good quality jobs."