A NEW property "barometer" by Real Estate Alliance confirms that house sales activity has significantly increased nationwide in recent weeks.

Energy Minister Eamon Ryan today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Irish government, ESB and Renault-Nissan in relation to electric motor vehicles.

ECONOMIC RECOVERY when it comes must involve Ireland developing a low-carbon “smart, green economy”, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said yesterday. 

 
Following the Home Energy Saving scheme announcement by Minister Eamon Ryan last week, Durkan Residential, the Irish homebuilding company, has launched a new subsidiary, Durkan EcoFix , which will create 150 jobs to serve the home insulation market estimated to be worth €9 billion.

THE GREEN Party will bring thousands of “green-tech” jobs to Dublin, its European candidate election in the constituency, Déirdre de Búrca, promised yesterday.

MEETING MODERN energy-efficiency standards in Irish homes could generate €600 million a year and create 7,000 sustainable jobs, according to new research from DKM Economic Consultants.

EMPLOYMENT IN green sectors is on the rise despite an overall slowdown in the jobs industry, according to recruitment agencies. Jobs in green areas such as renewable energy will continue to increase over the next year, following rapid growth since the summer of 2008, according to Gary Barcoe, divisional manager at Stelfox recruitment.

THE IRISH Farmers’ Association has claimed 8,000 “green collar” jobs could be created by developing the renewable energy sector in wind power and biomass.

Over 40 per cent of architects employed in January 2008 will have lost their jobs by March according to a survey conducted by Millward Brown IMS for the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland (RIAI).

Thirteen workers at Roadstone in Arklow, Co Wicklow, were made redundant yesterday as the company closed the stone crushing plant at the quarry.