Sustainable energy is important for protecting and supporting jobs in Ireland. That was the message from a conference focussed on sustainable energy and jobs hosted by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and SIPTU at Croke Park on Thursday, 1st November.

200 business leaders and major Irish employers attended the conference aimed at raising awareness of the jobs potential associated with sustainable energy and how Ireland can best maximise this.

Addressing the conference, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, T.D., said: "We are committed to Ireland meeting its 20% renewable and energy efficiency targets by 2020. In doing so it is critical that we equip our construction sector workforce, now badly hit by redundancy, with new skills so that it can evolve into a customer-focused, highly motivated, quality driven workforce in the continually-expanding sustainable energy sector."

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Commenting Dr Brian Motherway, Chief Executive of SEAI said: "Sustainable energy is relevant to all types of jobs, whether it’s about reducing costs or looking at new technologies. Businesses are now realising that they need to think about energy and prepare for the future by cutting energy use and enhancing competitiveness.

"In the last five years Irish companies have cut their energy bill by over €150 million. That equates to significant bottom line savings and many jobs being protected in the process."

(CD/IT)