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.”
Dublin City Council told the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) it was “sheer luck” that nobody was injured when buildings belonging to the federation collapsed onto a public road.
The council said the CIF had shown a “laissez-faire” attitude to managing the property and that it was ironic the “dangerously decaying” building had been hidden behind a banner promoting construction safety.
The correspondence followed the partial collapse of several cottages along Canal Road in Dublin’s city centre in May of this year.
A letter to the CIF said falling bricks from the derelict cottages only narrowly missed a cyclist and a pedestrian who was out walking their dog.
A senior official wrote: “Photographs taken immediately after the collapse show the entire front of the building reduced to rubble, strewn across the footpath and roadway, an entirely preventable situation.”
The letter from Dublin City Council’s assistant chief executive Anthony Flynn said the incident showed a “serious failure in duty of care and property management.”
It also noted that an outstanding debt of €181,650 in derelict site levies should be settled without further delay.
A copy of the correspondence, released under FOI, said: “We trust that the CIF will now treat this matter with the seriousness it demands.”
In response, the director general of the construction group Hubert Fitzpatrick said they fully recognised the gravity of the situation and the “valid concerns” raised.
Mr Fitzpatrick said the CIF also accepted responsibility for the conditions that led to the crumbling of the buildings.
He wrote: “The safety of the public must always be paramount, and we deeply regret the risk posed by the collapse.”
Mr Fitzpatrick said they were “grateful that, fortunately, no one was injured.”
He said the CIF had acted immediately to secure the site and a specialist contractor was hired to make safe the area.
Mr Fitzpatrick wrote: “While the site has been secured and all structures demolished, we acknowledge that the events that preceded this fell below the high standards we expect of our organisation.”
There has been a steep rise in the number of citizens of the United States seeking asylum in Ireland.
Fifty-one people from the U.S. applied for international protection in the first half of this year, more than in 2023 and 2024 combined.
New figures from the Department of Justice show that 104 American citizens have looked for asylum in Ireland since the beginning of 2022.
In 2022, there were thirteen total applications and in 2023, that rose to eighteen.
During the course of last year, there were twenty-two applications for international protection from citizens of the United States.
However, the figures have risen sharply since President Donald Trump won a second term in the White House, even as overall application numbers have dropped.
Between January and March of this year, there were twenty-four asylum claims from U.S. citizens, more than in the entirety of 2024.
From April to June, a further twenty-seven Americans sought international protection, according to data that was released under Freedom of Information laws.
In the same period, there has been a sharp drop in the overall number of applications being made in Ireland.
Ireland’s social media regulator was sent material by the U.S. State Department claiming there was “an aggressive campaign against Western civilisation itself” ahead of a meeting on freedom of expression.
Two representatives of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the United States government met with Coimisiún na Meán in late May to learn about the work of the regulator.
In advance, the U.S. officials forwarded provocative material with one article saying they were heading to Europe to “fight for free speech.”
A second article – written by Samuel Samson, one of the American attendees – was also forwarded in the days before the meeting.
It said that across Europe, governments had weaponised political institutions “against their own citizens and against our shared heritage.”
An email ahead of the meeting said the article, published in a State Department magazine, was about the need for civilisation allies in Europe and “may be of interest.”
In the piece, Mr Samson wrote: “Far from strengthening democratic principles, Europe has devolved into a hotbed of digital censorship, mass migration, restrictions on religious freedom, and numerous other assaults on democratic self-governance.”
The piece claimed that in the United Kingdom, police were “arresting Christians” for silent protests outside abortion clinics.
It said that the European Union’s Digital Services Act was being used “to silence dissident voices through Orwellian content moderation.”
The article added: “Americans are familiar with these tactics. Indeed, a similar strategy of censorship, demonization, and bureaucratic weaponization was utilized against President Trump and his supporters.
“What this reveals is that the global liberal project is not enabling the flourishing of democracy. Rather, it is trampling democracy, and Western heritage along with it, in the name of a decadent governing class afraid of its own people.”
Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM) had originally refused to release the documents saying they could compromise the international relations of the state.
The article from Mr Samson was at first redacted in full and was only disclosed following an appeal under Freedom of Information laws.
In June, CnaM publicly said the U.S. State Department officials had neither sought any changes nor expressed any concerns about their work at the meeting.
However, the internal records make clear the agenda of the two representatives from the United States government.
Two days before the meeting, the U.S. officials forwarded one article which directly referenced Ireland and laws in place to tackle social media misinformation, hate, and illegal content.
A U.S. State Department official was quoted in the piece saying: “It’s obviously being weaponized, for political purposes.”
On the same day, they also asked CnaM to take note of the longer article on the need “for tangible actions by European governments to guarantee protection for political and religious speech, secure borders, and fair elections.”
Only a concise note was kept of the meeting on 30 May by the media regulator with the identities of all who attended withheld on security grounds.
It said the American representatives wanted to “better understand An Coimisiún’s functions and international collaboration.”
A senior official from CnaM gave an overview of their operations and their responsibilities under European Union law at the meeting.
They also detailed work around terrorist content, countering child sex abuse material, and efforts to combat “hate, harassment, and abuse.”
The meeting notes said: “[CnaM official] gave an introduction to An Coimisiún’s work on fundamental rights, including on empowering users who can see if and why their content has been removed or restricted online.
“Some general discussion on freedom of expression and the differences between US law and European and member state law followed.”
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is looking at a plan to turn a surplus site into a native woodland.
The innovative proposal would see the 36-acre plot donated to Nature Trust for planting with the type of trees and forest that once covered Ireland.
It would then be managed “into perpetuity” by the trust with walking trails developed for use by the public.
The site was part of a 65.5-acre parcel of land that was bought by TII for a national road scheme in County Cork.
Once the €280 million bypass between Macroom and Ballyvourney was complete, the public body no longer had any use for the remainder of the site.
A TII presentation said options open to them included the sale of the land or alternative use, for example, as a solar farm.
However, a new plan was put forward whereby TII and Cork County Council would donate the site to Nature Trust.
The presentation said the site would be developed both as a native woodland and to highlight the historical significance of the area.
According to the records, the site was part of the Coolnacaheragh Battlefield and was the location of the Coolnacaheragh ambush in February 1921.
The TII slideshow said the new forest would be “rich in biodiversity” and help them with their carbon footprint.
“It is estimated that this native woodland will sequester and store an average of seventy-five tonnes of carbon dioxide every year,” said one slide.
TII said “natural carbon woodland credits” would apply and that Nature Trust would provide periodic updates on “biodiversity uplift” and “community engagement.”
The slideshow said the plan would help protect soil and water in the locality and create a new public amenity for the area.
The Department of Foreign Affairs got hit with a hike of more than €46,000 on the annual rent they pay for the Irish Ambassador’s residence in London.
The department said it had little choice but to agree to the sharp increase even though it brought the cost of the property close to €10,000 per week.
The new lease of €508,925 per annum – a rise of 10 percent – was signed off on because no better options were available, according to records released under FOI.
An internal submission said that the Irish Ambassador to the U.K. had been living in the property in leafy Chester Square since September 2019.
In late 2022, the Department of Foreign Affairs said they were interested in extending the lease.
While the landlord was happy for them to stay on, they said they wanted a “substantial increase” in rent of over 11 percent.
Department officials tried, “actively but unsuccessfully,” to negotiate a much smaller increase in rent.
The submission said: “After several months, the landlord indicated that they would not accept any offer below £8,400 (€9,787) per week.”
At the same time, the department had asked a property adviser to see if there were any other suitable properties available in London.
A report said the type of residence needed for the Ambassador was only likely to come on the market half a dozen times each year.
The submission said: “The market had hardened in the wake of Covid, with landlords less inclined to offer inducements or rent reductions to attract tenants.”
The property advisers examined eight properties in the area that had been let over a two-year period.
They said only three of them had been leased for less than £7,000 (€8,156) per week and the majority ranged from £8,000 to £12,000.
Eleven alternative properties were put forward, a number of which were “slightly” cheaper than the existing residence.
The submission said: “It is very challenging to find an equally suitable property at a lower rent based on market evidence.
“A move would probably necessitate additional fire safety and security improvements, at a cost to the exchequer, in addition to the purchase or rental of furniture.”
It said the best-case scenario was that such a move would be “cost neutral” and at worst “less suitable and more expensive.”