"That's the wonderful thing about Earth Day is that it really provides a platform, an opportunity for grassroots organizations and community organizations to really focus on what's happening in their neighborhoods and their homes in their communities, in their businesses and to focus on the priority problems and to engage people maybe for the first time in taking environmental action."

VOA: special.2010.04.21

But despite the UK's abundant wind, waves and engineering skill, lack of government focus and priority means Britain's renewables industry remains tiny.

CNN: Opinion: Nuclear is 'a spanner in the works'

Speaking in the Irish parliament on Thursday, he said the government's priority and focus was on what could be done to create new jobs and investment in the banking and financial sector.

BBC: Allied Irish Banks to shed 2,500 jobs

The department said HSE's approach was to focus inspection on priority sectors and target them on specific activities in other sectors where there is evidence of poor performance.

BBC: Tayside and Central Scotland