Engineers Ireland ‘State of Ireland 2020 – Engineering a green and digital recovery’ report recommends:

  • Now is the opportune time to invest in public infrastructure to drive the green and digital recovery and create badly-needed jobs in the wake of Covid-19
  • An increase in capital spending by €25 billion over the lifetime of the National Development Plan targeted at decarbonisation to stimulate the economy
  • Ensuring Climate Action Bill 2019 enacted and seeking funds from European Green Deal Investment Plan to achieve zero-carbon 2050 goal
  • Putting communities at the heart of sustainable recovery along with the electrification of transport and heating and a radical national retrofit programme
  • Delivering on the goal of 70% renewable electricity by 2030 will create 6,000 direct jobs in Ireland and an estimated additional 9,000 indirect jobs
  • Creating a comprehensive national hydrogen gas strategy and identifying a seaport to support offshore wind development
  • Progressing major projects such as BusConnects, Metrolink, light-rail systems and the DART Interconnector
  • Adopting a National Programme for Digital Transformation and accelerating rollout of the National Broadband Plan and 5G
  • Legislating for a post-Brexit Common Data Space for the island of Ireland and prioritising its implementation so as to underpin the emergence of an all-Ireland data economy
  • Introducing a sustainable funding model for higher education and increasing apprenticeships
  • Launching a nationwide digital literacy programme to combat disinformation and driving the uptake of digital technologies

Now is the opportune time to invest in public infrastructure to drive the green and digital recovery and create badly-needed jobs in the wake of Covid-19, a new report by Engineers Ireland has said.

In its annual, expert-led, analysis of Ireland’s infrastructure, the Engineers Ireland ‘State of Ireland 2020’ report stated that significant investment in decarbonisation infrastructure was critical to ensuring Ireland met its zero-carbon goals and to generate sustainable employment moving forward.  This requires energy-system integration based on the direct electrification of transport and heating, Ireland meeting its 70% renewable electricity 2030 target, a national hydrogen energy strategy, and a radical national retrofit programme across Ireland’s communities. 

The report also endorsed Ibec’s recent call for an increase in capital spending by €25 billion over the lifetime of the National Development Plan based on a decarbonisation focus and aligned to the National Planning Framework.

By ensuring the Climate Action Bill 2019 is enacted and through investment in green technologies, Ireland will also be able to support its zero-carbon goals by becoming eligible for funding from the €1 trillion which will be mobilised by the European Green Deal Investment Plan, the report, which featured 23 key recommendations, also suggested. 

Speaking today at the launch of the report, Director General of Engineers Ireland, Caroline Spillane said: “Covid-19 has revealed the vulnerability of our social and healthcare systems, but also highlighted the diverse economic and environmental challenges we face as part of driving a sustainable recovery.  In the wake of the pandemic and with a no-deal Brexit looming, it is even more important now to front load investment in green infrastructure that can boost enduring job creation and economic activity – thereby contributing to long-term sustainable, inclusive growth for Ireland.  Communities must be at the heart of this investment, and this report highlights a clear pathway and the real opportunity that exists to make sustainability, job creation and climate action central to Ireland’s recovery, as well as pinpointing many of the measures needed to drive Ireland’s energy transition as part of Iast week’s published Climate Action Bill.”

Spillane added: “At a time when the State can borrow at historically low rates and with funds available to reward innovative green technology development through the European Green Deal Investment Plan, now is exactly the moment for targeted investment in vital infrastructure.  The Government has already indicated that it will prioritise capital investment to increase employment and deliver projects in health, transport, education, housing and other sectors, and this is extremely welcome. The New Green Deal requires greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions of 7% per annum on average and carbon neutrality by 2050, and the engineering industry stands ready to respond to the need for new and innovative engineering solutions to make all this a reality.”

The ‘State of Ireland 2020’ assessment pinpointed energy system integration as critical to Ireland achieving its 2050 carbon-neutral goals through the use of hydrogen as an energy source - requiring policy support and a comprehensive national development strategy in this regard - as well as a dedicated seaport for offshore wind development to facilitate the construction of new wind farms.  Delivering the renewable infrastructure needed for 70% renewable electricity by 2030 will create approximately 6,000 direct jobs in Ireland and an additional 9,000 indirect jobs according to the report.

Maurice Buckley, President of Engineers Ireland, commented: “Even in the severest economic conditions, targeted investment in infrastructure strengthens growth through job creation, efficiency, productivity and competitiveness - and we very much welcome the increased investment in infrastructure to €10.1bn announced in Budget 2021 earlier this week.  Ireland’s capital spending across the lifetime of the National Development Plan, which the Government has said is now to be reviewed, must be ambitious and focused on decarbonisation and balanced regional development.  This is very much in keeping with the European Union policy on climate action and drive towards greater digitalisation to deliver a better quality of life, new jobs and sustainable economic growth.

“The pandemic has demonstrated the agility of the nation to engineer dramatic improvements for the good of society, including innovation in healthcare technology and the built environment. The ‘State of Ireland 2020’  is the tenth annual instalment in a series of reports examining the state of critical sectors of the country’s built environment, and our expert-led analysis makes the evidence-based case for Ireland’s recovery to be green and digital, driven by investments in infrastructure, technology and education,” Buckley added.

The report also highlights the important role both education and digitalisation will play in engineering Irish recovery over the coming years. With remote working now likely to be a permanent part of economic activity, digitalisation is transforming how people live, work and learn. This requires the accelerated rollout of the National Broadband Plan, preparation for 5G, reinforced cybersecurity, and a digital-first public sector, the report indicated.

The potential costs of an increasing digital divide in Ireland were also a key insight from the report, and the critical importance of the state continuing to develop ambitious strategies in relation to digitalisation.  The development of digital hubs in every county in Ireland could potentially generate €312 million for the regional economy and create over 8,400 new jobs across over 1,000 new businesses, the report said.  The higher-education system needs a sustainable funding model to respond to Covid-19 and prepare for longer-term transitions. New ways of learning, such as professional engineering apprenticeships show a way forward to fill skills gaps emerging for the sustainable recovery, it said.

To read 'The State of Ireland 2020 - Engineering a green and digital recovery' report in full, please access this link here.

ENDS

For further information, interview opportunities or pictures, please contact:

Anne-Marie Clarke, Events and Press Officer, Engineers Ireland - Tel: 087 6920894

About Engineers Ireland

With over 25,000 members, Engineers Ireland is the voice of the engineering profession in Ireland. Engineers Ireland was established in 1835 making the organisation one of the oldest and largest professional bodies in the country.  Members come from every discipline of engineering and range from engineering students to fellows of the profession. For more information, see www.engineersireland.ie.

About ‘The State of Ireland 2020 – Engineering a green and digital recovery’

Now in in its tenth year, the report is an annual, expert-led, action-orientated analysis of our infrastructure and built environment, published by Engineers Ireland. Since 2011, the aim of the State of Ireland has been to contribute to the debate on Ireland’s future, to stimulate that debate and to recommend actions vital to the future prosperity of Irish society as well as informing the general public. Each year, the State of Ireland report’s findings are based on the deliberations of an advisory group of engineers and other professionals. The previous four reports have focused on: housing (2019), water, wastewater and flooding (2018), transport and communications (2017), and energy (2016). The reports have also highlighted the interdependencies between different sectors of infrastructure and the potential for improvements in the investment, planning and delivery of infrastructure projects and programmes.

The State of Ireland 2020 Advisory Group:

  • Chair: Maurice Buckley, President, Engineers Ireland
  • Conall Boland, Senior Consultant in Sustainability / Planning, RPS
  • Dr David Connolly, CEO, Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA)
  • Dr Declan Deasy, former Director, European Commission, DG Informatics
  • Clare Duffy, Network Development and Electrification Manager, ESB Networks
  • David Feighery, Director of Operations, Jacobs Engineering
  • Paul Goldrick-Kelly, Economist, Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI)
  • Dr Sarah Ingle, Secretary General, Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI)
  • Dr Muireann Lynch, Research Officer, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI)
  • Dr Pádraig Lyons, Senior Specialist – Future Networks, ESB Networks
  • Dr Richard Manton, Deputy Registrar & Policy Officer, Engineers Ireland
  • Dr Tom McDonnell, Co-Director, Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI)
  • Prof. Barry McMullin, Faculty of Engineering and Computing, Dublin City University 
  • Fergal O’Brien, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Ibec
  • PJ Rudden, Managing Director, Aengus Consulting
  • Catherine Sheridan, Communications Manager, Ervia
  • Tony Smyth, Chair, Infrastructure Standing Committee, Irish Academy of Engineering
  • Dr Damian Thomas, Senior Policy Analyst, National Economic and Social Council (NESC)

Engineers Ireland also hosted brainstorming sessions and other engagements on national recovery with representatives of its Regions, Divisions, Societies, and its Officers and Senior Management Team. This included contributions from: the Academic Society, Biomedical Division, Civil Division, Cork Region, Electrical & Electronic Division, Local Government Division, Mechanical & Manufacturing Division, Midland Region, Northern Region, Roads & Transport Society, South East Region, West Region and Young Engineers Society.