Labour Party welcomes renewable energy jobs

STATEMENT BY LIZ MCMANUS TD

Labour Party Spokesperson of Energy

"The announcement by the ESB of some 3,700 jobs in the renewable energy sector, is very much to be welcomed.

These are precisely the kind of jobs that we should be targeting in our effort to get out of the recession. In fact the Government should be concentrating to a much greater extent on job creation rather than focussing so narrowly on cutting public expenditure and raising tax rates.

The shift by the ESB towards renewable energy is also to be welcomed.

These jobs must now be supported by Government action, and Energy Minister Eamon Ryan must match his rhetoric on renewable energy targets with action. We now need:
* Fast-tracked legislation for harnessing offshore wind.
* Action on creating the regulatory framework for geothermal energy.
* A better performance in support of ocean energy, an area where we have heard many promises but seen little action
* Climate Change legislation as proposed by the Labour Party

It is time that the Government showed us that they are not all hot air on climate change."