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Two government ministers rejected advice from officials to break up the Road Safety Authority where the Department of Transport would take over the lead on safety initiatives.

Internal records reveal that Minister of State Sean Canney blocked the proposal, saying he did not agree to the split and creation of two new entities.

A note said Mr Canney believed that the Road Safety Authority (RSA) – which employs less than 500 staff – was still capable of being managed as a single entity.

He said past failures of the RSA in meeting targets for NCTs and driver testing were resolved by “providing them with adequate resources and with Department and ministerial oversight.”

Mr Canney also suggested the “employment of well-known media or sporting personalities” as advocates for safety on the roads.

A note said: “[Having them] to promote road safety events is worthy of consideration by the RSA.”

The internal submission on reform of the Road Safety Authority was then passed on to Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien for his comments.

A note said: “Minister O’Brien agrees with Minister Canney’s view as stated in the comments.”

The decision not to go ahead with the split sparked controversy with concerns raised over the Road Safety Authority’s dual role in providing essential driving services while simultaneously trying to promote safety.

Internal documents show that right up until this autumn, civil servants believed major reform was on the way.

A ministerial submission said: “Officials propose that the current RSA is legally reformed into a new services and operations focused non-commercial State body, while public interest work is delivered from a new Office of the Road Safety Advocate within the Department, which will maintain a distinct brand and have additional safeguards of independence.”

Confidential government papers warned of an “imminent humanitarian crisis” as the State struggled to cope with rising numbers of asylum seekers.

It said tented refugee camps might be needed in Ireland and that the government was being gouged by the private sector for accommodation that was “higher cost and lower quality.”

The documents – prepared as the government grappled with the international protection system in late 2023 – warned there was no sign of any let-up.

It said annual costs could eventually end up as high as €1.5 billion per year if “the accommodation system [wasn’t] prepared” for the EU Migration Pact.

The State was also deeply concerned about a High Court case over the right to housing for international protection applicants.

They warned of a significant compensation “award” and how it could create a “pull factor” for refugees wanting to come to Ireland.

A briefing warned: “A scheme may be required for the 1,500 [applicants] who were not accommodated from January to May 2023, costing further tens of millions.

“[Legal] counsel is not optimistic as we have already lost the substantive case – that Ireland breached its EU obligation to provide reception to those seeking International Protection.”

The internal records also document serious failings in existing accommodation centres, with Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan flagging the high cost the State was paying for providers that were non-compliant.

Following one scathing report, the minister wrote: “We are paying a lot of money for the provision of this service, and the provider should be compelled to comply with the terms of the contract.”

More than €110,000 was paid out to members of the public who inadvertently unearthed or stumbled across items of archaeological significance.

The payments were made over the past five years by the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) as a reward for good citizenship and handing over the historic artefacts to the State.

Figures show that finder rewards worth €19,312 were paid out in 2025 as compared to €14,755 the year before.

2023 was a bumper year for payments with members of the public given €45,850 for finds of old coins, swords, bog butter, and crucifixes.

The NMI would only provide provincial locations for discoveries, saying they did not want to encourage treasure hunting.

They said detailed information on where items were found risked creating the perception of a “financial opportunity [or] encouraging potentially damaging searching practices.”

In 2025, €6,400 worth of rewards were paid out in Connacht for discoveries including coins, a blade, and “vessel fragments.”

A further €7,930 was given to members of the public in Leinster after they handed over items that included an axe-head, a scraper, and pipe fragments.

There was a small payment of €400 in Munster for an axe-head, and a scoop and ring.

Payments totalling €4,200 along with books and tote bags from the National Museum were provided to finders based in Ulster.

That was as reward for discovery of an axe-head and a sword, according to records released under FOI. Other items handed over during the past five years included a brooch, shoes, burial material, and arrowheads.

A man travelling with a ferret perched on his shoulder and repeated complaints about unmuzzled dangerous dogs were among a stream of reports sent about animals on public transport.

Irish Rail and the National Transport Authority (NTA) received dozens of complaints over the past two years relating to dogs, exotic pets, and what passengers described as aggressive or unsafe behaviour.

One passenger described a journey on a busy Galway-bound train where a man entered a carriage with what was believed to be a ferret or weasel.

A record said the passenger had the animal “on a lead and not in a cage” as they boarded before sitting down with the creature resting on his shoulder.

“Passengers were admiring him,” the complainant said, although they felt the animal should have been confined and wanted to bring the incident to Irish Rail’s attention.

Other complaints raised more serious safety concerns, particularly around restricted dog breeds being brought onto trains without muzzles.

In multiple cases, passengers said they encountered pit bull–type or Staffordshire bull terrier dogs travelling unmuzzled on crowded services, including during rush hour.

“This is extremely dangerous given how busy the DART carriages are,” one person wrote, saying they were “astonished” staff had allowed the dog through ticket barriers.

Another passenger described an unmuzzled restricted breed dog moving around a late-night train, saying it was “a recipe for a disaster” in a confined carriage full of people.

Other gripes from passengers included complaints about dogs that were roaming freely through carriages, jumping at other travellers, or snapping and barking at staff.

The Office of Public Works refused to allow hit TV show The Traitors to shoot at the famous Hill of Tara, one of dozens of filming requests they turned down last year.

The OPW said they welcomed filming and photography that promoted heritage sites as places for education, culture and public enjoyment.

However, filming of a paranormal, political, or inappropriate nature was not permitted or in cases where a plan put forward is not feasible for the location.

An internal log shows there were almost 500 applications made in the space of a year with over two thirds of them agreed to – for TV documentaries, music videos, and even wedding photos.

Among the refusals was a request to use the Hill of Tara for filming of The Traitors series, which was broadcast on RTÉ in 2025.

A note said the producers were on the lookout for heritage locations close to Slane Castle in Meath where the series was shot.

However, the OPW decided that filming at the royal ceremonial and burial grounds at Tara was “not suitable [to] the site.”

They were, however, happy for the producers Kite Entertainment to use the nearby Four Knocks Passage Tomb and the Hill of Ward instead.

Other refusals included one from LADbible Ireland for a promotion with Sony for the launch of the zombie film 28 Years Later.

They had wanted to erect a tower of skulls in St Stephen’s Green, but it was declined due to the “nature of [the] park.”

Pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor also received a polite ‘no’ after a request to film a music video on the Skellig Islands off the coast of Kerry.

“Not a suitable project for the site,” said a note in the OPW log.

Aerial filming above the Skelligs was refused as well in a separate application because it might have an adverse effect on wildlife there.

Asked about the Traitors application, the OPW said: “In the case of The Traitors, permission to film at Hill of Tara was refused due to the exceptionally sensitive archaeological landscape.

“The proposals were considered incompatible with the site’s conservation objectives, management strategy and public presentation.

“A separate application relating to Hill of Slane was assessed and permission was granted. Detailed risk assessments, method statements and safety proposals were required as part of the permission request.”

A loophole that allowed wealthy people to transfer valuable life assurance policies without paying tax was quietly shut during last year’s Budget.

In discussions with the Department of Finance, the Revenue Commissioners said that the public could not be alerted to the legal gap before it was closed.

They said if people got wind of it, others were likely to use the loophole for aggressive planning purposes to avoid paying tax on inheritance or gifts.

Normally, life assurance policies pay out on the death of a person and trigger payment of Capital Acquisitions Tax.

However, a small number of people figured out that if the policy were transferred over to a spouse, son, daughter, or somebody else – the tax could be dodged.

A Department of Finance memo said the latest figures showed that around 300 such policies were assigned to somebody else each year.

Not all of those transfers were linked to tax planning, with Revenue having so far identified less than a dozen clear-cut avoidance cases.

However, Revenue were at pains to say no information on the loophole should be made public in advance of Budget 2026.

The submission said: “Consultation with stakeholders is not proposed at this time as there is a potential for tax planning.

“The anti-avoidance team in Revenue’s Business Taxes Policy and Legislation Division strongly recommends against publicising the issue for this reason.”

The record – which was released under FOI laws – added: “Revenue has identified a number of cases where an individual has taken a gift [or] inheritance and disposed of this interest prior to the insurer making a payment.

“Therefore, the individual received the benefit of the gift [or] inheritance without attracting a [tax] liability.”

The Data Protection Commission (DPC) is owed more than €4 billion in fines that have not been collected or are subject to legal challenge.

The DPC hit companies – including firms in Big Tech – with more than €530 million in fines last year.

However, just €125,000 of that has been collected so far, according to data released under FOI laws.

Over the past six years, the commission has levied an incredible €4.04 billion in fines, mostly on multinational technology companies.

However, of that total, €4.02 billion of it remains uncollected and just €20 million has been paid in fines so far.

In 2024, €652 million worth of fines were levied, of which €582,500 has been paid.

The year before that, there were a massive €1.55 billion worth of fines imposed by the DPC – yet just €815,000 was collected.

During 2022, the commission decided on fines with a value of just over €1 billion, €17 million of which has been paid so far.

Five years ago in 2021, companies were ordered to pay €225 million over data protection issues – €800,000 has up to now been collected.

Even for 2020, when just €785,000 in fines were imposed – less than 10 per cent of that, or €75,000, has been paid to date.

The Data Protection Commission said the majority of these cases were currently the subject of appeal in the Irish courts.

It said that under legislation, fines could not be collected until they were confirmed in court.

An information note said: “Where an entity subject to a fine decides to appeal … the DPC is precluded in law from collecting the fine until the appeal has been heard.”

The commission said that many of the fines hinged on a key case involving WhatsApp, which is currently before the Court of Justice of the EU.

Asked about whether any of the fines were considered “uncollectable” for any reason, the DPC said none were.

The government paid nearly €1.4 million for a forty-hectare tract of land to expand the Glen of the Downs nature reserve.

Three independent valuations had given an average value for the County Wicklow site of around €1.16 million but a higher price was ultimately agreed.

Internal records detail how one valuation said the land was worth just €800,000 because it was used for commercial forestry.

Another estate agent reckoned the site could fetch €1.2 million while one said it could be worth up to €1.5 million.

An internal memo said the higher values reflected the possibility that the land could be redeveloped as a golf course.

However, it said there was an “overabundance” of golf courses in the area and that several had closed, one less than a kilometre from the site.

The memo said: “The average valuation on the lands in question in my view reflect a more realistic value, in that it places the lands somewhat over commercial forestry values.

“[It also] recognises the location will enhance the land value and reflect the premium that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) might place on what is essentially commercial forestry land, but with the strategic value to NPWS.”

A submission for Housing Minister James Browne said buying the land would improve access to the Glen of the Downs nature reserve.

It said that it would be particularly valuable for dealing with health and safety issues by allowing easier access to emergency vehicles and NPWS staff.

The submission said the nature reserve would be expanded and that the land would be transitioned back to native woodland.

It also said it would help Ireland meet its obligations under legislation on nature restoration.

The document said a price of €1.375 million had been agreed for the lands, which were at one stage owned by the semi-state forestry agency Coillte.

The submission said: “As far as can be ascertained Coillte did not offer NPWS an opportunity to purchase these lands nor were NPWS asked for any views or input.

“With this sale, access previously enjoyed by NPWS to the Nature Reserve from Ballydonagh Lane ended, posing substantial logistics and operational constraints on NPWS on this site.”

It said the purchase would grow the nature reserve by 68 per cent and that the land was already well used by the public.

The submission also said buying the land could be problematic for private buyers as there would be rights of way issues around full access.

However, it argued that the site was of strategic value to the State and that there was “value-for-money in this purchase.”

Asked about the deal, a Department of Housing spokesman said: “While [the price paid] is above the simple average valuation due to one outlier low valuation, it is well within the range of valuations received at the time.

“This strategic acquisition will see the conversion of commercial timber forestry into native woodland, over time, utilising local seed sources, invasive species controls and techniques such as continuous cover forestry to enable a sensitive transition that protects vulnerable soils.”

Metal girders warped and deformed in a fire that reached temperatures of 1000 degrees Celsius and destroyed a light rail bridge.

An inspection of the George’s Dock Bridge, which carries Luas trams in Dublin, showed visible buckling of steel while concrete lost most of its structural strength.

A report said bearings were exposed to direct fire as components melted and concrete bearing plinths were cracked and damaged in the August blaze.

The rails that carried trams also buckled from the extraordinary heat while handrails were “badly heat-distorted.”

The scale of the damage was so severe that it could end up being cheaper to rebuild the bridge entirely rather than trying to repair it.

A report by engineering firm Arup said fixing it up would be “highly complex and lengthy.”

It said the entire concrete deck would have to be removed and recast while steel girders would need to be heat-straightened or cut out and replaced.

More “severe distortion” of the metal would need bolting or welding, and all of it would need extensive stress testing.

A report said: “Arup estimated that the cost of repair could approach (or even exceed) the cost of a new bridge.”

It said repair, while technically feasible, would be slow, expensive and leave Luas with an “old structure with patchwork fixes.”

A scoping document from the National Transport Authority said it might also be possible to temporarily strengthen the bridge with a view to a full renovation later.

This would involve propping up the bridge from beneath and could have been used to get Luas services back in operation more quickly.

However, designing and installing the props would itself take time “reducing the advantage of ‘quickly’ reopening.”

The document said: “[It also] required the installation of props in the old George’s Dock (a water basin) which would be technically challenging and potentially require cofferdams or barges.

“It introduced its own safety and logistical risks.”

In the end, the National Transport Authority opted to build an entirely new bridge, ensuring full structural safety and a lifespan of over 100 years.

It was back open in late November, just over three months after the blaze, and in time for the busy Christmas season.

The report said: “Although building a new bridge sounds time-consuming, Arup argued it could be done relatively fast by using accelerated bridge construction methods (fabricating the new span off-site while preparations are made on-site).

“Arup pointed out that repair work might drag on longer than a replacement, whereas a replacement could be done in a matter of months if prioritised.”

It said costs were likely to be similar to repair while giving “peace of mind,” a longer lifespan, and easier maintenance.

The engineers said the replacement would be a more effective use of taxpayer funds than an “uncertain refurbishment.”

No definitive cause for the fire was provided in the documents.

However, a letter from Transport Infrastructure Ireland said a gas pipeline had ruptured during the blaze “and was apparently the source of the flames.”

Asked about the documents and the project, an NTA spokesman said while the final cost of the project was not known, it was estimated to be in the region of €7 million.

Ireland’s brand new Central Mental Hospital (CMH) is still grappling with serious safety and governance problems more than a year after an unprecedented inspection found widespread regulatory failures.

Internal records show that multiple issues identified during a 2024 inspection by the Mental Health Commission (MHC) remained unresolved midway through 2025.

This is despite the fact that the North Dublin campus opened just three years ago and was described by the then health minister Stephen Donnelly as “state-of-the-art” and a “major achievement”.

The MHC inspection found the hospital was compliant with just 51 per cent of the regulations examined and resulted in an Immediate Action Notice, a highly unusual step for a new-build facility.

In correspondence obtained under FOI, the hospital acknowledged the “stark findings” and said it was “very challenging and disappointing” to have fallen short of minimum standards.

They said extensive work had taken place but that a number of issues were still listed as “in progress” well into 2025.

These include procedures around patient admission, transfer and discharge, records management, the delivery of therapeutic services, and works to parts of the hospital building, including cracking floor surfaces.

The records also show that full compliance in some areas has been delayed by limitations in the hospital’s electronic systems, despite the facility being newly developed.

The CMH told the regulator that changes to its electronic health record system are required, but upgrades will not be complete until early 2026.

One of the most serious failures related to the monitoring of patients placed in seclusion.

Inspectors found that intercom systems used to communicate with patients were ineffective with staff describing them as “not fit for purpose.”

The hospital acknowledged that it was difficult to hear patients in distress unless the intercom system was actively engaged.

The documents show the hospital relied on interim safety measures while other solutions, including increased observation by staff, were explored.

One proposed solution was delayed amid concerns it would create ligature points in seclusion rooms that would create a risk of self-harm.

Later updates detail how acoustic improvements were eventually installed and tested, which had made it easier for staff to hear patients.

The correspondence also shows ongoing engagement with the regulator over whether the system, even with mitigations, met the required standard.

The hospital also told the regulator that recruitment delays had affected the delivery of therapeutic services, including psychology, with waiting times ranging from two weeks to six months.

Asked about the records, a spokesperson for the National Forensic Mental Health Service said they welcomed the work of the Mental Health Commission.

He said: “It is very challenging and disappointing that the CMH has fallen short of the expected minimum standards.

“We have put in place appropriate corrective and preventative actions to address the areas of non-compliance identified.

“The CMH is committed to improving regulatory compliance and has provided assurances and evidence of these undertakings to the MHC.”

He said the hospital had a committed, skilled, and caring workforce but acknowledged that the demands on staff, systems and processes during “an extended and not yet complete time of change” had been substantial.