Greener Homes move to result in job cuts

JOBS in the sustainable energy sector have been put at risk by Energy Minister Eamon Ryan’s decision to close the Greener Homes funding programme until October, according to the Wood Energy Association, which says the suspension will have major implications for the industry.

The Greener Homes programme gives grants to consumers to allow them install energy-saving devices such as solar panels and biomass boilers in their homes. A total of 16,000 grants have already been issued since 2002, to the value of €47 million.

According to Wood Energy Association chairman James Kennedy, Mr Ryan’s statement came as a great shock. “The association requested a meeting with the minister as soon as he was appointed and, although that request has been acknowledged, a date is yet to be set. Neither I nor my colleagues in the association had any advance notice that such a dramatic announcement was to be made.”