Over 15,000 'green economy' jobs have been created in Ireland since 2007, the Irish Government has said.

Launching his department's latest green report, the Daíl Energy Minister Eamon Ryan said semi state energy firms plan to invest almost €30bn over the next decade.

He said since the Green Party entered government in 2007, over 15,400 jobs have been announced in the green economy sector.

"If this was a single factory, we would all still be speaking of it," said Mr Ryan.

"We have introduced a national insulation scheme which is reducing energy costs for over 30,000 homes insulated this year alone."

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Schemes, which the minister said, are supporting thousands of workers throughout Ireland

"We are on track for reaching our renewable energy targets with new guaranteed support prices for offshore wind, ocean energy and biomass anaerobic digestion/Combined Heat and Power," he said.

"We have changed the rules so that people can create their own power and sell it back to the national grid."

Mr Ryan noted the construction of the East West interconnector, adding that the Single Electricity Market with Northern Ireland has already begun.

"Every day we are increasing the amount of renewable energy on the Irish system, the energy efficiency gains of Irish housing and decreasing our dependence on imported fossil fuels."

He added: "We are greening this economy, providing jobs, cutting costs and carbon at the same time. The semi-state sector, private industry and the people are all facing in one direction led by government."

(PR/BMcC)