Public Lighting upgrade will spark job creation and energy savings

Alan Farrell, Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal has said that 20,500 public lights in Fingal will be upgraded in order to improve energy efficiency and create jobs, as part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2013.

“Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte T.D. this week announced the first tranche of energy saving measures to be supported by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland through an investment of €55 million, as part of the Action Plan for Jobs.

“Fingal County Council is one of three local authorities in Ireland that will participate in a €30 million public lighting upgrade that will create 200 jobs and reduce energy costs. As a result, 20,500 public lights in Fingal will be upgraded and many of these jobs will be created locally.

“It is not just public services that will benefit from this initiative. Other projects involve food sector companies where energy efficiency measures will reduce their manufacturing costs.   This is part of the overall Action Plan for Jobs to reduce costs for businesses and improve our competitiveness.

“Minister Rabbitte and SEAI Chief Executive Brian Motherway both highlighted the opportunity that energy efficiency presents to business, and a critical driver in the creation of jobs in a tight economy is a combination of state and private investment pitched appropriately at key projects with deliverable benefits.

“Fingal County Council has been selected as an organisation that will lead the way to achieving this success and as a result the north county will benefit from a more efficient public lighting system and reduced costs for our local authority.”