Mary White (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party)

There will be more this year, with the €130 million retrofit scheme, which will provide local employment throughout the country. The digital economy, which is also being developed by the Minister, Deputy Ryan, sees a fusion of the smart economy technologies, low carbon innovation and development in the ICT market. The potential for jobs is significant. Some 30,000 will be created in this sector in the next five to ten years. Knowledge-based businesses are still moving to Ireland and providing new jobs here. We are providing supports to facilitate that. These are the facts.

We need to develop other indigenous sectors, as well as the green economy, such as tourism, the economic spin-off from our culture and new opportunities for Irish agriculture in terms of anaerobic digestion and biomass. We all want to make sure that, throughout the country, we are creating jobs in rural areas.

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