July 26th, 2019 One of the island’s largest peat operators has ceased harvesting following a High Court ruling to temporarily suspend new regulations to remove large-scale extraction from the planning regime. Westland Peat Limited, a multi-million euro gardening company, today confirmed that it has not harvested any peat since Tuesday’s Read more…
July 25th, 2019 The European Commission is taking action against Ireland for a continued failure to ensure that peat extraction is properly assessed for environmental impacts as required under EU law. In its latest package of infringement decisions, the Commission said that it is pursuing Ireland for failing to fully Read more…
July 25th, 2019 Pressure is mounting on the Government to push forward with its just transition plans after the refusal of ESB plans to convert its Shannonbridge peat plant to co-fire with biomass has left the facility’s future in doubt. The plant in Co Offaly current burns peat to generate Read more…
July 23rd, 2019 The High Court has temporarily suspended the coming into force of new regulations that would remove industrial-scale peat extraction projects from the planning system due to concerns over breaches of European environmental law. Earlier this year, the Minister for Planning Eoghan Murphy TD published new regulations to Read more…
July 17th, 2019 A challenge to new peat regulations exempting industrial-scale extraction from the need for planning permission was heard in the courts this week. The case brought by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) was heard at a High Court sitting in Cork on Monday, with Mr Justice Garret Read more…
July 16th, 2019 The Minister for Heritage has announced that she will not proceed with regulations that would have allowed for roadside hedge cutting this August on a trial basis. Josepha Madigan said that she made the decision in recognition of the need to protect Irish nature and biodiversity. Hedge Read more…
July 16th, 2019 A Hen Harrier, one of Ireland’s most threatened birds of prey, was killed on a wind farm in Co Kerry in April, according to the Irish Raptor Study Group (IRSG). The rare female Hen Harrier was killed after colliding with a wind turbine near Knockrour East, according Read more…
July 12th, 2019 An Taisce has called on the Department for Climate Action to protect Connemara’s natural amenities by re-evaluating its intention to issue a licence for mineral exploration in Co Galway to a Canadian company. The Department has said that it “intends” to grant a licence to Ontario-based firm Read more…
July 3rd, 2019 Cork County Council has said that it does not have sufficient funding to repair a crumbling weir on Blackwater River in Fermoy, Co Cork. Speaking during a Joint Committee on Public Petitions hearing on the issue today, the Council’s Niall Healy called on the Government to provide at least Read more…
July 3rd, 2019 A new report from the Irish Wetland Bird Survey has found that the numbers of wintering waterbirds in Ireland have declined by 15 per cent in recent years. The majority of waterbird species assessed by the survey, coordinated by BirdWatch Ireland, are showing significant declines over the Read more…
