Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentation and the submission. I want to focus on the question of green jobs, which should be central to job creation in the coming years. I know the expert group has a very long report on skills for zero carbon. There is a lot in it that is very good and a lot that I agree with but it tends to take a pretty narrow view of what type of green jobs will exist. I have several questions in this regard. There does not appear to be any reference to public transport in the very long report about skills for zero carbon. The only mention of "bus" in the report is an approvingly cited case study of how electric car take-up in Norway was enhanced by allowing them to use bus lanes. It is pushing towards electric car use as opposed to the significant modal shift away from cars and into public transport promised by the climate action plan chapter on transport. Why is it the case the expert group did not include, for example, the need for more skilled train, tram and bus drivers, support staff, a massive expansion of our public transport network and jobs within public transport as part of green jobs?