Posts tagged ‘Cover story’
Cover story: Energy Bridge: Ireland’s opportunity
Thursday, April 11th, 2013Mainstream Renewable Power’s Andy Kinsella talks to Owen McQuade about the renewable energy developer’s ambitious plans to export wind energy into the UK market. “It is now accepted that Ireland is in a leading position when it comes to renewable energy. As I travel the world it comes up over and over again and it is huge credit to the policy-makers and all those who made that happen,” says Andy Kinsella, who is CEO of Mainstream’s offshore wind business and responsible for the company’s Energy Bridge project. Mainstream Renewable Power is a continuity play from Airtricity,...[full story]
Cover story: Ernst & Young: Survival through transformation
Friday, August 31st, 2012Government needs to seize this opportunity for reform and create a citizen-centric public sector fit for the 21st century. Innovative leadership and mindset will make the difference, Ernst and Young’s Colm Devine tells Owen McQuade. The Irish Public Service is faced with a situation whereby costs must continue to be reduced and reform should be accelerated. Although there have been encouraging moves within the public sector, there are many areas where reform has not happened at the scale required. All government departments must now ensure that true reform is implemented in order...[full story]
Cover story: ESB’s Pat O’Doherty on expansion plans
Monday, May 28th, 2012ESB Chief Executive Pat O’Doherty talks about the challenges and opportunities facing the energy sector and shares his company’s ambitions to expand into Britain with Owen McQuade. A turbulent time for energy is bringing uncertainty and challenges but also presents exciting possibilities, recently appointed ESB Chief Executive Pat O’Doherty remarks as he takes stock of the sector’s current landscape. The challenges facing ESB, in his view, fall into two categories: operational and strategic. Operationally, the company faces “huge uncertainty” in many of its markets. The future...[full story]
Cover story: EirGrid Chief Executive Dermot Byrne sums up the way ahead for energy
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012EirGrid’s Chief Executive Dermot Byrne discusses the future outlook for the Irish energy sector with Owen McQuade. He sees a number of key building blocks being put into place that will shape the sector for decades to come. The issue that Dermot Byrne, Chief Executive of electricity grid operator EirGrid, addresses first is that of energy security. “There are a number of different dimensions to energy security, starting with generation adequacy. Have we enough generation on the island to meet demand now and into the future?” he asks. EirGrid produces a capacity statement every...[full story]
Cover story: Lucinda Creighton on Europe’s democratic legitimacy
Monday, February 6th, 2012Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton discusses the Dáil’s shortcomings and her belief that the European Union has become “the vehicle for Ireland to express its sovereignty” with Meadhbh Monahan. European affairs are “no longer foreign affairs, they are domestic affairs,” according to Minister of State Lucinda Creighton. European policy “has to be central to everything that, not just the Government, but the Parliament does, because everything that we do in this country now has a very important bearing on European politics and vice-versa,” she...[full story]
Cover story: John Barry: a strategic future for gas
Monday, November 7th, 2011Head of Bord Gáis Networks John Barry talks to Owen McQuade about the importance of natural gas for Ireland’s energy mix and how he anticipates a strong future for the fuel. Natural gas is an important fuel in Ireland and will remain so for the “foreseeable future”, John Barry contends. The Head of Bord Gáis Networks notes that the country currently generates about 60 per cent of its electricity from gas and emphasises that a secure supply (including via interconnectors) will be important to back up the renewable energy sector. “As more renewables come on stream, clearly that...[full story]
Cover story: A new contract with nature: Gabriel D’Arcy
Friday, August 19th, 2011Gabriel D’Arcy, Managing Director of Bord na Móna, tells Owen McQuade about the company’s capacity for diversification and its belief that it is qualified to become the state’s new water utility. In recent years Bord na Móna has produced a “very credible, gritty performance”, recording a minimum increase in earnings of 12.5 per cent in each of the last five years, whilst diversifying from peat production to more sustainable business ventures. Peat now accounts for less than 50 per cent of the company’s revenue. The four main areas of future business are: Renewable energy:...[full story]
Cover story: At the heart of economic recovery: Pat Rabbitte
Friday, May 13th, 2011Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte tells Owen McQuade about his energy priorities and plans to get people back to work and “wave goodbye to the ECB.” Pat Rabbitte was not a reluctant Energy Minister, but was surprised to have been allocated the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources portfolio because that was the only department he hasn’t been involved in throughout his 22 years as a TD. However, he has been getting to grips with his remit since 9 March and sees his department as being “about the future” and “at the...[full story]
Cover story: The new Government
Thursday, March 31st, 2011As the Fine Gael-Labour coalition begins its task of “mending the pieces of a fractured society”, eolas examines its plans for reform. “By the end of our term in Government, Ireland will be recognised as a modern, fair, socially inclusive and equal society supported by a productive and prosperous economy,” the new Programme for National Government promises. There was some controversy over the fairness and inclusivity of Kenny’s choice of Cabinet, particularly the decision to give former teacher Brendan Howlin the important public sector spend and reform portfolio, rather than...[full story]
Cover story: The green challenge
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010In these times of unprecedented economic crisis the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is focused on keeping the environment centre stage. Owen McQuade caught up with the Agency’s Director General, Dr Mary Kelly, to discuss the state of Ireland’s environment and the key challenges ahead. The EPA is perhaps best known in its role as a regulator but in fact many of the tasks that the agency is involved in include assessing, monitoring, measuring and reporting on the environment. The EPA’s Director General, Mary Kelly, believes that one of the most important roles the agency has...[full story]
