Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Martin. Enterprise Ireland's strategy is global growth and we will continue with that. If I may say so, we are quite successful. The unemployment rate is now at 6.6%, with over 2 million people at work. In 2016, some 63,000 people went out every morning having got a new job. We are quite successful and this Minister is very ambitious, especially that jobs go to the regions and rural Ireland.

For Ireland, the green economy presents a major opportunity for employment creation and we are very aware of that aspect. Growth forecasts for the global clean, green sector are strong, amounting to over 20% per annum up to 2020 or over €2 billion in sales. Irish enterprise needs to continue to increase its share of the global market for green goods and services. In Ireland, the green economy covers activities such as sustainable food production; tourism; green financial services, as well as other green products and services; resource management; waste management; water and wastewater management; renewable energy; smart grids; and energy efficiency. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland also runs a range of programmes and schemes to assist businesses.

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