The Stormont Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has attended the launch of the Northern Ireland Green New Deal Housing Fund, a £253m investment scheme that will see the retrofit of 100,000 homes over a three-year period.

The scheme will see over 2,300 jobs created, 50,000 households currently in fuel poverty benefit and will result in over 20% reduction in average carbon emissions for homes.

Through investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy, the business plan details proposals to tackle the recession, energy security and climate change.

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Using its substantial expertise from the public, private and third sectors, the aim of the Green New Deal is to create thousands of jobs in the construction industry and renewable energy sector through the Housing Fund.

Iain Osborne (pictured with the Minister), Chair of the Northern Ireland Green New Deal Group said: "Household energy consumption accounts for over a third of all the energy used in Northern Ireland, with carbon emissions at a similar proportion.

"As a society, we must begin to reduce these levels and our reliance on fossil fuels, and the most cost-effective way of doing this is through our proposed Housing Fund.

"We are fully aware of the funding constraints currently affecting government, however we believe they must react and take leadership in order to help businesses recover from the recession, enable consumers to reduce their energy bills and save money, while also reducing carbon emissions and energy usage," he said.

(CD/BMcC)