Economy: Looking ahead to 2012
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012Figures from the arts, politics, business and the media share their thoughts on the way ahead in 2012. Brendan Keenan Economics editor, Irish Independent It looks as if 2012 will be another year of stagnation for the Irish economy. The endless euro zone crisis has dashed hopes that the year might have seen the start of recovery from the deep, four-year recession. Most analysts expect the volume of goods and services produced this year to increase by only half a per cent or so. When the large profits earned by foreign companies are deducted, national income may fall again,...[full story]
Economy: Employment rights reformed
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011Employment Minister Richard Bruton has outlined his plan to streamline the employment rights and industrial relations structure. Stephen Dineen examines the proposed new system. Five employment rights agencies could be ‘streamlined’ into one entity to ensure employment law claims are simpler to make. At present there are five bodies that employees can approach for making claims of breach in employment rights or entitlement: the Labour Relations Commission, Rights Commissioners, the National Employment Rights Authority, the Equality Tribunal and the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Governed...[full story]
Justice: Innovation and accountability: G4S
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011With the reform of the public sector driven by the EU-IMF bailout, outsourcing is now very much on the Government’s agenda. eolas talks to G4S’s Niall Feely about the potential for outsourcing in the justice system and how it can not only reduce cost but deliver innovation in service delivery. There are now over 4,500 people within the justice system which is under pressure because of a number of issues. Increasing prisoner numbers and the early release scheme are causing public concern and these pressures look set to continue. In addition, the quality of the prison estate has been...[full story]
Environment: Barry O’Flynn: a Green IFSC
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011Barry O’Flynn of the Green IFSC steering group tells Stephen Dineen about the vision of Ireland becoming a hub for green financing and carbon management. For Barry O’Flynn, head of cleantech and environmental finance at Ernst and Young, there is no denying the fundamentals of the global energy landscape. In his address to the Environment Ireland conference he spelt them out. The age of cheap oil is over. Energy demand is escalating. Global temperature rises are linked to the growth in greenhouse gas emissions. “In plain English: when it comes to energy, it’s all about importing...[full story]
Environment: Green economic growth
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011Environmental policies should be designed to promote innovation and must take account of their economic impact, the OECD’s Brendan Gillespie tells eolas. Environmental developments over the last decade “are not moving at a sufficient scale to bring about transition to a low carbon and more resource efficient society,” according to Brendan Gillespie, Head of the OECD’s Environmental Performance and Information Division. Addressing the annual Environment Ireland conference he said “more ambitious” policies are needed. Policy-makers need to remember that “investment decisions...[full story]
Environment: Green procurement
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011Seven categories of State purchasing have been identified for greening. eolas outlines the draft national green public procurement action plan. The Government is expected to publish a green public procurement (GPP) action plan in November. Sixty-one submissions were received during public consultation on a draft plan. In May, Environment Minister Phil Hogan launched a draft GPP action plan, emphasising the role public sector bodies can play “in promoting green procurement, as we put Ireland on the path to a low-carbon, competitive and successful economy.” The European Commission’s...[full story]
Environment: Packaging tax
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011A tax on packaging is being considered by the Environment Minister as part of his new national waste policy. Stephen Dineen reports. Public consultation on a possible packaging levy has concluded, with the Department of the Environment receiving over sixty submissions during the process. Environment Minister Phil Hogan has told eolas that he wants to shift policy towards the production of less packaging and more re-use, rather than recycling. The Programme for Government commited to extending producer responsibility initiatives and implementing a levy on packaging. Speaking to eolas,...[full story]
State Assets: Making industrial policy key
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011A state holding company would help better governance of the state companies and “unlock” billions through the sale of shares, Paul Sweeney tells Meadhbh Monahan. Fine Gael’s New Era concept is a more preferable option than privatisation, according to ICTU’s Chief Economist Paul Sweeney. In theory, a state holding company would hold the shares, which are currently held by the Department of Finance. Therefore, line departments would manage the companies e.g. CIE in transport and ESB in energy. This would free up “incompetent” civil servants “who know nothing about the commercial...[full story]
State Assets: Selling state assets: some key issues
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011With the Government committed to raising €2 billion from selling state owned companies, Stephen Keogh, Partner at William Fry, highlights some structural, legal and commercial issues to be considered in respect of such transactions. It is probably fair to say that the Irish experience of selling State owned companies has not always been a happy one. From the sale of Greencore in 1991, through the sale of Eircom in 1999, right up to the most recent major sale, the listing of Aer Lingus in 2006, many of these transactions have attracted some degree of controversy. This is not surprising...[full story]
State Assets: Taking an economic approach
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011ESRI economist Paul Gorecki tells Meadhbh Monahan about the options open to the Government when considering the future of state assets. There are three approaches that can be used in order to determine what assets should be sold to reach the €2 billion target, Gorecki began. Addressing an eolas seminar on state assets, he advocated the use of an economic approach which examines the rationale for public ownership, thereby identifying strategic assets, and which is consistent with the McCarthy report on state assets. The first approach, revenue maximisation, would involve advisers being...[full story]
