Public affairs: Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan shares his approach to protest politics
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012Continuing eolas’ series on the independent TDs, Meadhbh Monahan speaks to Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan about his frustration with the Government, his priorities as a TD and missing his children. Turf cutting, starting a debate on Ireland’s future in Europe and the legalisation of cannabis are the diverse priorities that will preoccupy Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan’s time for the next 12 to 14 months. Flanagan was elected TD for Roscommon-South Leitrim in the general election, symbolising the disregard the electorate had for conventional politicians and the last government. While...[full story]
Europe: European Diary
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012New Parliament President As was widely expected, Socialists and Democrats Group leader Martin Schulz won the European Parliament presidency with 387 votes. This followed a deal with the European People’s Party, which had nominated the previous President (Jerzy Buzek) in 2009. In his acceptance speech, Schulz asserted that the MEPs were the “advocates of ordinary people” and criticised heads of government for making decisions “behind closed doors”. Opposing candidates Nirj Deva and Diana Wallis described Schulz’s election as a ‘stitch-up’ but he says...[full story]
Environment: Hogan’s green goals
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011Environment Minister Phil Hogan spoke to Stephen Dineen after his speech at this year’s Environment Ireland conference. Better management of river basin districts and water provision are essential, according to Environment Minister Phil Hogan, who addressed the annual Environment Ireland conference. At the Croke Park event in September the Minister said the 2003 arrangements for managing river basin districts are not best suited to the second cycle of river basin planning. The Minister believes there are three basic problems regarding water management in Ireland. “First of all we’ve...[full story]
Environment: A new direction in water
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011Water reform will help Ireland meet its EU targets and address the dispersed nature of services, Ivan Grimes told delegates at the Environment Ireland conference. Meadhbh Monahan reports. Water services and water quality need a “joined up approach” because the Department of the Environment has traditionally viewed them as separate. It must be remembered that water service delivery is about regulating “the quantity of water taken from the environment and the quality of the water returned to the environment,” said Ivan Grimes, Principal Officer in water services policy. Addressing...[full story]
Environment: Water services investment – A&L Goodbody
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011Alison Fanagan, Head of Environmental & Planning and Noeleen McHenry, Solicitor, Environmental & Planning consider the legal implications of transferring services from councils to Irish water. Following the IMF-EU Programme and the Programme for Government 2011, the efficient, clean, and cost-effective delivery of water services is top of the agenda. Considerable investment is to be made over the next few years, to combat issues arising in water supply and treatment, such as leakages and poor water quality, and to facilitate the introduction of domestic water charges. Care will...[full story]
Environment: John McCarthy – European priorities
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011John McCarthy discusses the environmental issues likely to impact on Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013 and other key environmental policy priorities with Owen McQuade. Compliance in transposing and implementing European environmental law has seen a step change over the past two years. The level of infringements gives a “barometer of performance in this area”, according to John McCarthy, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government’s Environment Division. In the two years to the end of 2011 the number of outstanding...[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: Review of climate policy
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011Environment Minister Phil Hogan is preparing for the post-Kyoto world. Stephen Dineen reports. The Minister for the Environment’s review of climate change is almost complete and a revised policy is expected to outline challenges facing Ireland in the period before and after 2020. A spokesman for the Department told eolas: “The clear priority is to develop policy that responds to the specific challenges that exist for Ireland and consideration is currently underway of how best to engage all stakeholders in that next phase of policy development.” The Programme for Government commits...[full story]
