Committee targets creation of green jobs

Politicians come together today in a new Oireachtas committee set up to help create thousands of green jobs.

It will focus particularly on opportunities for renewable energy projects in rural and undeveloped areas of the country.

The Labour Party’s Willie Penrose, chairman of the Sub-Committee on Job Creation through Use of Renewable Energy Resources, said the emerging industry could help counter the recession.

“Greater use of renewable energy is not just good for economic, energy security and environmental reasons, it has the potential to create thousands of new jobs in Ireland,” he said.

“Given the economic downturn, this has the potential to offset job losses in other sectors and provide new opportunities for workers with a variety of skills.”

The sub-committee will look at opportunities for job creation in new technologies such as biomass and energy crops.

Lawrence Staudt and Paul MacArtain of the Centre for Renewable Energy at Dundalk Institute of Technology will tell the committee’s first meeting about its renewable energy research and development and academic programmes.

“Renewable energy projects provide opportunities at every stage of development from initial research through to manufacturing, construction, operation and maintenance,” said Mr Penrose.