The Ecocem Group has appointed Susan McGarry as managing director of Ecocem Ireland.

Heat Merchants Group, the largest suppliers of heating, plumbing and home improvement materials to the professional and retail markets in Ireland, recently announced the creation of up to 75 new jobs in a €4 million investment programme that will see the opening of nine new Heat Merchants branches, and four additional Tubs & Tiles showrooms, over the next three years.

Leading passive and low energy building contractor Bow Tie Construction is looking to recruit site supervisors and builders in the Dorset and Hampshire areas.

An Taoiseach Mr Enda Kenny has opened one of the world’s "most advanced research and development facilities for space and water heating technologies" at the Glen Dimplex site in Dunleer, Co Louth.

The government's cuts to its Better Energy grants will cost jobs and make it extremely difficult for Ireland to meet its retrofit and energy reduction targets, green building magazine Construct Ireland has warned.

Following the budget, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland reduced grants for cavity wall insulation from €320 to €350. Grants for internal and external wall insulation were also reduced — previously these were €2,000 and and €4,000 respectively, but now separate rates have been introduced for different house types, with the maximum being €1,800 for internal insulation and €3,600 for external.

A new coalition of Irish business leaders has issued an open letter urging the government to leverage the State’s €17bn annual procurement spend to develop the green economy.

The CEOs and managing directors of companies including Siemens Ireland, Airtricity, Ecocem, Glen Dimplex and Bord Gais have signed up to Green for Growth, a coalition calling for the state to commit to buying greener goods and services to keep Ireland competitive domestically and internationally.

Green for Growth, a coalition of leading Irish businesses set up to demand strong government leadership on green procurement, will be launched tomorrow, Friday 14 May 2010 in The Annesley Suite, Alexander Hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2 at 12pm. The coalition has been organised by Construct Ireland magazine.

Scottish-owned electricity supplier Airtricity has announced the creation of 200 new jobs as it embarks on a drive to win new customers.

EMPLOYMENT IN green sectors is on the rise despite an overall slowdown in the jobs industry, according to recruitment agencies. Jobs in green areas such as renewable energy will continue to increase over the next year, following rapid growth since the summer of 2008, according to Gary Barcoe, divisional manager at Stelfox recruitment.