Highlights of this morning's session at Rebuilding Ireland

I blogged the pre-lunch session at Rebuilding Ireland live this morning, but was interrupted for a while by some wi-fi problems. So here's a not-so-live blog of the bits I didn't cover at the time.

Speech by energy minister Eamon Ryan:

9.26am:  Government aims to introduce pay-as-you-save type scheme next year, allowing householders to pay for energy upgrades over time on their energy bills

9.25am: Ryan says bureaucracy associated with government energy grant programmes has been drastically reduced through web-based applications so far

9.23am: About 30,000 applications so far for Home Energy Saving Scheme

9.20am:  Ryan says he's energy-upgraded his own house recently and that he now realises the value of undertaking insulation measures. 

 9.28am Energy upgrades mean keeping money in the country by paying for work done here and preventing money going to oil and gas producers outside of Ireland

9.30am: Ryan says US energy secretary Steven Chu told him retrofitting of buildings is the most important thing US can do to reduce its carbon emissions

9.32am: Ireland will be one of the leading countries in the world in the roll out of electric vehicles, Ryan says. Cars can become energy storage systems.

9.33am: Ryan - our first goal is to insulate our homes and public buildings

9.34am: Minister says that once consumer fear abates people will start spending, and that he wants people to spend on energy-saving measures and green technology

Speech by Martin Colreavy, chief architect at the Dept of the Environment

9.47am: 15 key objectives in new national architecture policy backed up by 45 specific actions

9.53am: Colreavy mentions the need for sustainability indicators for whole communities and urban areas, not just for buildings 

9.54am: It's not just about the buildings, it's about the space between too: we need to consider amenities and social infrastructure in creating sustainable communities

9.56am: Colreavy praises the Open House programme, which enables people to explore architecturally interesting private and buildings around Dublin (and for the first time this year, Galway) for one weekend each year

9.58am: Department needs to work more with other institutions - local authorities and academia are given examples - in implementing the national architecture policy

10:01am: New government policy on architecture fits within framework for sustainable economic recovery. The sort of decisions we make now about energy efficiency and retrofitting are an investment in the future

Speech by Declan Hughes, head of competitiveness at Forfas, Ireland's competitiveness and building a green economy:

10.06am: We need to reduce costs right across the economy, enhance education and training for the unemployed, and restore our international reputation

10.08am: Ireland is ideally positioned to be a leading green economy: we have excellent natural wind and ocean resources, expanding R&D in green sectors, and great opportunities for energy efficiency and resource efficiency as businesses seek to reduce costs

10.09: EU has mandated that 50% of government procurement be green by 2010

10.10: Our strong reputation as a "green island" is another advantage in positioning Ireland as a pioneering green economy

10.12 Hughes shows a graph comparing government expenditure versus income as a % of GNP - the rapid divergence in the last few years is just a bit frightening

10.13: Ireland's exports have held up relatively well despite the economic decline

10.14: A carbon tax will incentivise "eco efficiency" and broaden the tax base, while a value-based property tax will help to get the property sector moving

10.15am: Forfas have been looking at the potential of changes to stamp duty for energy efficient homes

10.16am: High electricity and energy costs have provided incentives to Irish companies to reduce consumption and introduce efficiencies

10.18am: Global green good & services market to be worth €800 billion by 2015. 90% of this is in OECD countries

10:20am: The green goods and services market in Ireland, excluding eco-construction, is worth €2.8 billion

10.21am: Discussion of various green stimulus plants now - China's seems the largest at €221 billion

10.22am: Key green sectors for export and jobs in Ireland: eco-construction, renewable energy, energy efficiency for new build and retrofit, waste resource recovery, water and wastewater

10.24am: 40 per cent of treated drinking water still leaks from the system in Ireland

10.25am: From an enterprise development perspective, government capital investment should focus on energy infrastructure and grid re-enforcement, advanced broadband access and bringing fibre-optic cables to homes, water and waste, completing specific road upgrades and public transport

10.28am: Public sector should lead by example in terms of the energy efficiency of its buildings