As a Government Minister, I sought to introduce progressive, beneficial policy in the areas of communications, energy and in relation to wider social issues.
The following is a list of some of those achievements. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like any further information.
Eamon
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Green energy stimulus
- Doubling of renewable energy that uses Ireland’s own green power to reduce our €6 billion annual fossil fuel bill
- Costed and announced investment plans of €8 billion in the next four years in clean energy
- Electricity prices reduced by 12% in domestic sector due to competition
- Electricity prices reduced by 35% for business
- Increase in the fuel allowance to help those on low-income in the winter months
- 110,000 homes insulated throughout the country creating over 5000 new jobs and keeping homes warmer and cheaper to run.
- Developed a plan to insulate 1 million buildings over next decade
- One-third of all new high value start ups in Ireland in green technology
- 5 international car companies signed up to bring electric cars to Ireland and ESB to build nationwide charging infrastructure
Overall: In just 3 years, over 20,000 new jobs created in the green economy, electricity prices reduced for householders and businesses and Ireland has become as an international hub for investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Digital advances
- Trebling of broadband penetration to over 1.5 million and counting – almost one million people who didn’t have broadband, now do.
- All of Ireland to be broadband enabled in the next year due to the National Broadband and Rural Broadband Schemes
- Digital Schools scheme which brought 100 MB broadband to our secondary schools
- 6% increase last year in jobs in ICT area now totalling 73,000
- Development of new Irish owned high-speed internet network bringing new companies to Ireland to test next generation products
- New laws introduced to stop mobile companies defrauding the consumer
Overall: Higher speeds and lower costs for consumer and business. Thousands of new jobs in digital economy
Other areas of change
- Civil Partnership Act that gave gay couples long awaited rights and legal recognition of their relationships
- Protecting education: Education spending spared massive cuts and no reintroduction of university fees
- Help for those in mortgage arrears: I established the Debt Management Group which made sure that banks were forced to be more lenient with those in mortgage difficulties through no fault of their own and allow people to hold onto the family home
There are thousands of people in jobs throughout Ireland because of the transformation begun in Government, even in the midst of crisis.
Families do not have to struggle to pay university fees this coming autumn, gay couples are on a more equal footing and our reckless banks are forced to deal fairly with those struggling to pay their mortgages.
We have invested in our own energy and our own skills to provide new services the world wants to buy.
