Protected habitats have been burned, vandalised, and torn up across Ireland’s national parks over the past eighteen months.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) records detail dozens of incidents of arson, scrambler damage, theft, and repeated acts of vandalism at one location in County Galway.
Ten of the thirty-four cases of damage were logged at Coole Park near Gort, County Galway.
This included three separate occasions when a person – or persons – deliberately blocked toilets with loo roll, including the disabled facility.
In other cases at Coole Park, floor tiles were torn up, cobbles were removed and strewn around, and locks were cut off gates.
There were also multiple further incidents of fires, removal of signs, and damaged padlocks at the beleaguered site.
A note said: “Further damage and theft from outside toilet block including repeated removal of disinfectant dispensers; either being taken or thrown into nearby vegetation.
“[Also], toilets being blocked with toilet roll and hand towels on repeated occasions; soap dispensers emptied, and contents sprayed all over sink areas and floors.”
The two most serious incidents both took place in County Mayo and were the result of fire.
At Wild Nephin National Park, more than forty hectares of conifer forest and peatland were destroyed in a suspected arson attack in April of this year.
A few days earlier, a separate wildfire destroyed the Claggan boardwalk and thirty hectares of peatland in the same protected habitat.
The Octagon at the Glen of the Downs Park in County Wicklow was another hotspot for antisocial activity, according to the NPWS files.
Met Éireann said they needed to be sure that none of this year’s storms shared a name with any of the candidates for the forthcoming Presidential election.
In discussions over the list for 2025 and 2026, the Irish meteorological service said they were not yet sure who was running for the Presidency, but wanted to alert colleagues in the U.K. and the Netherlands it was happening.
An email to them said: “We certainly couldn’t have a live storm with the name of a candidate during the election.”
U.K. forecasters were also worried about using the Irish name ‘Fíadh’ for a storm this season because they thought it sounded a little bit too much like ‘fear’.
However, in discussions, Met Éireann reassured them of its far less sinister pronunciation by sending an audio recording of how it actually sounds when spoken.
An email said the Irish meteorological service wanted to keep it in contention for this year’s list.
Met Éireann said it had some “nice stories behind it” and was the only Irish-language name on this year’s list.
Fíadh had been put forward as part of a Met Éireann initiative to get the public to help choose storm names for this year.
An internal list said: “Fíadh is an Irish girl’s name meaning wild or untamed. The name’s connection to nature and the wild symbolises the untamed aspects of the individual, their tenacity, and their willingness to push boundaries.
“This sounds both like my … daughter Fíadh and most storms.”
However, staff in Met Éireann flagged it early as a potential issue for colleagues in the UK and Netherlands saying it might prove tricky.
TV forecaster Gerry Murphy wrote to colleagues saying: “I think the names that are being suggested are good.
“The only one I would be a bit concerned with is Fíadh. It is a lovely name, but it might be one of those Irish names that people in Britain might pronounce incorrectly.”
In the end, Fíadh did not make the twenty-one strong list, and was replaced instead with Fionnuala, which was on an alternate list from Met Éireann.
An email from the U.K. Met Office said: “After considering the recordings, would you mind if we make the swap from Fíadh to Fionnuala for the final list?”
Seven of the twenty-one names were chosen by Ireland following a social media campaign from Met Éireann to submit names for the 2025 and 2026 season.
More than €1.1 million in taxpayer funds was paid last year to ministers, TDs, and Senators for social media providers, communications, and secretarial support.
The payments were made as part of the little-known special secretarial allowance which allows part-time hiring and the purchase of public relations services.
In 2024, Taoiseach Micheál Martin paid €5,965 to a firm called Upload Media, a creative media agency based in Dublin.
On their website, they offer a range of services including video production, photography, graphic design, web design, and content management.
Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers paid €5,000 to Communique International, a strategic communications provider.
The former minister Simon Coveney spent just over €40,500 with the Cork-based firm Cameo Communications.
Current Enterprise Minister Peter Burke paid Social Media Elite just over €5,500 while ex-Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue submitted a bill of €4,920 from Fabrik Creative Media.
Minister Norma Foley paid around €4,100 to Fogarty Films as well as €1,000 to Yewtree Infotainment.
Details of a further payment of €1,000 were redacted from the records on the basis it was personal information.
The Oireachtas has adopted a policy of only providing details of spending where companies are involved and not for individuals or sole traders.
That meant no further detail was provided on payments totalling €42,700 on behalf of the Fianna Fáil TD – and Minister of State – Niall Collins.
Similarly, €14,700 in payments by Minister Hildegarde Naughton were anonymised as were €26,500 in payments under the scheme by Culture Minister Patrick O’Donovan.
Details of nearly €11,700 spending by former Minister Anne Rabbitte were redacted as well along with €7,300 in bills from Minister Thomas Byrne.
The scheme also allows TDs and Senators to hire a temporary vouched employee to work in their offices.
Ireland could be leaving itself in a “decisively disadvantageous” position with high energy prices and risks to supply if it does not consider nuclear power.
An internal briefing from EirGrid said that this country currently has among the highest electricity prices in the world for households and businesses.
It said sky-high power bills were creating a huge financial burden for the public and threatened the viability of Irish businesses.
The note said that there was currently a prohibition on developing nuclear energy in Ireland and that government policy envisioned a future in which the country was powered by wind, solar, and “various forms of storage.”
However, it said this was not without risks in what is known as the “energy trilemma” of sustainability, affordability, and reliability.
New small modular nuclear reactors may in the future reduce costs and could potentially present an answer to the ‘trilemma’.
The briefing explained: “In such a world, Ireland may find itself in a decisively disadvantageous position when compared to international competitors.
“This may reduce Ireland’s attractiveness as a destination for foreign direct investment, particularly from energy-intensive sectors such as manufacturing and ICT.”
The document accompanied a presentation delivered by experts to a board subcommittee of EirGrid in March of this year.
Leinster House approved spending of €325,000-per-year for three new special adviser posts for senior officeholders in parliament.
The decision was made to allow the Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, Leas Ceann Comhairle John McGuinness, and Seanad Cathaoirleach Mark Daly each hire a person at an average annual cost of around €108,000 per post.
Special adviser positions for officeholders at Leinster House had been ended over a decade ago following the resignation of John O’Donoghue amid controversy over his travel costs.
However, a proposal was brought before the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission in June seeking the establishment of three new posts and other enhanced staffing for the parliamentary speakers.
A note on the proposal said: “The annual cost of the three special adviser posts (based on mid-point of scale and inclusive of Employers PRSI) is approximately €325,000.”
It is understood that two of the positions are in the process of being filled but that Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy has yet to appoint anybody.
Two business cases were submitted by TD John McGuinness and Senator Mark Daly explaining why they needed a special adviser working with them.
Fáilte Ireland warned uncertainty over Dublin Airport’s passenger cap, value-for-money, and U.S. citizens feeling “less welcome” in Europe were key risks for tourism here.
Their corporate risk register said the lack of certainty over numbers allowed to pass through the country’s main airport meant encouraging Irish tourists to holiday at home was doubly important.
It would not only boost tourism here but would also “somewhat reduce the domestic pressure on the airport.”
The risk register outlined how they should work with the DAA to get a “speedy resolution” on the cap and in the meantime also encourage airlines to use regional airports.
Fáilte Ireland also feared a decline in travel to Ireland as a result of changes to perceptions over whether we were a “value-for-money destination.”
It emphasised they needed to work with industry to encourage better deals and help with shortages of skills and labour.
The risk register said: “We are rolling out a commercial resilience framework to support businesses to manage these challenges, remain commercially resilient and competitive.”
The passenger cap and value-for-money were two of nine risks considered to be in the medium to high range by Fáilte Ireland.
One of them highlighted “emerging economic factors” in the United States that could be challenging for Ireland.
This included exchange rates, ongoing uncertainty and how the “perception of being less welcome in Europe may lead to a reduction in U.S. visitors.”
The tourism promotion agency also warned proposed laws on short-term lettings had the potential to damage their reputation.
The Commissioner for Environmental Information (CEI) has told the Department of Agriculture it must release details of the locations of large cattle herds around Ireland.
Right to Know had looked for the data under Access to Information on the Environment (AIE) Regulations.
It’s important because the information could be used to map the high impact of intensive farming on the environment, especially on water quality.
The Department of Agriculture had argued that the information was personal and only provided aggregate figures by county.
However, the CEI said many large herds were operated by companies and therefore didn’t relate to individuals.
The decision also highlighted the fact that similar information is available for pig and poultry farms around Ireland.
The CEI said the public interest favoured disclosure and there were no significant private risks from release of the information.
The ex-chairman of Enterprise Ireland (EI) told the board he wanted to stay in the role but had been left with no choice but to resign.
Michael Carey stepped down as chair of the enterprise body and the Housing Agency in June after his company East Coast Bakehouse failed to file its accounts on time.
In a message to the EI board before the announcement, Mr Carey said the delay had become a source of “potential embarrassment” for Minister Peter Burke because of the minister’s responsibility for the Companies Registration Office.
He wrote: “While this is a widespread issue for many businesses (circa 15,000 late filings per annum), we have received particular media focus due to my role as chair at EI and the Housing Agency.”
Mr Carey said the decision was unfortunate and was down to “some management/administrative errors.”
He told the board rectifying the accounts issue had been further delayed because his company also needed to change auditors.
The message said: “There are no suggestions of any financial or accounting issues at the business, it is a purely administrative issue and of [a] failure to comply with our corporate governance responsibilities.”
Records from Enterprise Ireland detail how the announcement was carefully timed so that the board was kept in the loop before the resignation went public.
A message from EI’s interim chief executive Kevin Sherry to Mr Carey said: “When you have a statement ready, just [let] me know if you wish to send a separate note from you to the members of the board informing them of your decision.”
Mr Carey responded to say: “Will email you in next few minutes.”
Mr Sherry then asked if the resignation letter would be sent to Minister Peter Burke and when it was likely to be issued.
A message from Mr Carey said: “Yes, I’ve spoken with and emailed the minister. The statement is issued now.”
The resignation was also notified to all staff of Enterprise Ireland in a personal message sent from the chief executive Kevin Sherry.
Mr Sherry wrote: “Michael gave huge time and commitment to Enterprise Ireland and was dedicated to supporting Irish exporting businesses at all stages of their development.
“Throughout his time as Chairman, he constantly focused on how our organisation can better support Irish businesses. He brought the voice of the client and the insights of an entrepreneur to the table and ensuring that clients were at the heart of every conversation.”
Enterprise Ireland had initially refused to provide many of the records and only did so following an appeal under FOI laws.
Asked about the documents, they said they had nothing further to add to the public statement they made in June.
Senior HSE management went to visit Ryanair HQ to see how aircraft were dispatched in the early morning to see if they could learn lessons on managing waiting lists and hospital overcrowding.
The visit was recommended and set up by Michael Cawley, the former deputy chief at the no-frills airline, who now sits on the HSE board.
In emails with HSE CEO Bernard Gloster, Mr Cawley said the health service could draw on Ryanair’s experience of “how we deal with punctuality.”
A message said: “The key to good punctuality is to get the first wave of aircraft away on time first thing in the morning.
“We have ninety-five bases from which close to six hundred aircraft depart every morning between 5am and 8am Irish time. At 9am, we hold a conference call at which all ninety-five bases report their punctuality and identify the reasons, if any, for delays.”
Mr Cawley said a similar approach could be adapted for the HSE with a daily call overseen by a senior executive, or the CEO himself, when possible.
The former Ryanair deputy chief said if issues arose, solutions would be discussed on the phone and “implemented immediately.”
Mr Cawley said within the airline there was an expectation of “zero delays” and that each airport manager would have an “immediate and viable solution” for any problem.
He added: “We have run this process every day for the last twenty-five years and it has hugely improved our performance.
“I would be happy to arrange for you and colleagues to see how this process works and to assist with the implementation of a similar one in the HSE.”
Mr Cawley said the approach should first be applied to tackling overcrowding and hospital trolleys for a “quick win” before moving onto waiting lists.
He wrote: “Some of my ideas are fairly radical but you won’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs and showing real resolve on cost reduction.”
He said every option needed to be on the table when it came to health budgets.
Among his early suggestions were cancelling all external consultancy contracts and training budgets except for those required by regulatory bodies.
Mr Cawley said his analysis of accounts suggested “very high” costs for legal and professional, bad debts, and computers – and that all needed to be closely examined.
He also said that the “best ideas for cost savings and efficiencies” often came from staff on the frontline.
“We should not be afraid to ask staff and management for suggestions particularly if we can promise that any savings will be reinvested in frontline services,” he added.
In response, HSE boss Bernard Gloster said he would “welcome the opportunity” to learn from the Ryanair experience.
He suggested that he and a senior colleague would take part first before a larger group of health officials – including hospital managers and CEOs – would visit.
Mr Gloster wrote: “I would also be happy in the height of our winter calls for you to attend one and see our approach with perhaps then sharing insights into how the Ryanair piece would benefit most.
“You might let me know your thoughts but would certainly regardless love to see the Ryanair piece for myself.”
In the end, just a single meeting took place as Mr Cawley brought forward a large number of suggestions around cost-cutting in the health service.
Forecasters at Met Éireann were briefed on how climate change was “adding fuel” to storms that hit Irish shores.
A guidance document on how to discuss the impact of global warming said there was high confidence that maximum rainfall rates will rise here.
It said there was still uncertainty over wind speed increases but that storms were likely to become “much more powerful, larger, and more destructive” in a warmer world.
The guidance – updated in March of this year – explained how 2024 was the hottest year on record globally and how Ireland’s temperature has increased by nearly 1.1 degrees Celsius since 1900.
It said: “Climate change is adding fuel to storms due to warmer waters and more moisture in the atmosphere.”
The document added that sea level rise was expected to increase surges during periods of severe weather and increase the risk of coastal flooding.
The guidance said: “Rainfall associated with the 2023/24 storm season was about 20 percent more intense and ten times more likely to occur in today’s warmer climate.”
An earlier bulletin on Storm Éowyn, which caused widespread damage and chaos in January, said records for wind gust and mean wind speeds had been provisionally broken.
However, forecasters were advised to be cautious about making a direct link with climate change for particular events.
A ‘key climate message’ from Storm Éowyn said: “Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
“Unlike temperature and rainfall, it is not as clear how the frequency and intensity of storms impacting Ireland will change into the future.”
The update said what was clear was that there was a greater risk of “compound climate events” with severe weather exacerbated by rising sea levels.
The main guidance also detailed the growing risk of heavy rainfall events.
It said a wet period from October 2023 to March 2024 was made four times more likely and about 15 percent wetter due to climate change.
The document added: “Heavy rainfall associated with Storm Babet in 2023 was made twice as likely and 13 percent more intense due to climate change.”
An increase in the length of the growing season in Ireland was noted at most of the country’s weather stations.
Looking at climate trends going back to 1940, the growing season had lengthened by fourteen days at Belmullet, Co Mayo, and sixteen days at the Phoenix Park in Dublin.
It added: “Sunshine duration has increased by approximately 5 percent when compared to the 1961 to 1990 period.”