eolas Magazine - Issue 58

Justice Minister Helen McEntee TD discusses priority policing legislation

Minister Eamon Ryan TD on tackling the challenge of decarbonising transport

European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness on 50 years of Ireland in the EU

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2023 speakers include:

Ossian Smyth TD

Minister of State with responsibility for Communications and Circular Economy

Antoine Oger

Head of Programme on Global Challenges and SDGs Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)

Laura Curtis-Moss

Director, 2050 Climate Group Scotland

Danielle Conaghan

Partner and Head of the Environment and Planning Group, Arthur Cox

Anthony Costello Chair, Lancet Countdown for Climate and Health Action

Anja Murray Ecologist

Niall Ó Donnchú

Director General, National Parks and Wildlife Service

Mike Savage Green Infrastructure Project Development Officer Derry City and Strabane District Council

Lorraine Bull Biodiversity Officer, Dublin City Council

Philip Nugent Assistant Secretary, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

Peter McEvoy Director of Land Management, Ulster Wildlife

Eimear Montague

Executive Director Northern Ireland Resources Network

Brian Carroll Assistant Secretary General, Climate Action and Environment, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

Sponsorship opportunities

Caoimhe Donnelly Chief Sustainability Officer, CIÉ Group

Lucy Gaffney

Platform Development Lead Business for Biodiversity Ireland

Frank O’Mara Director, Teagasc

Claire Downey Policy and Research Director

The Rediscovery Centre

Triona McGrath

Research and Policy Lead

An Fóram Uisce – The Water Forum

Kevin O’Sullivan

Environment and Science Editor The Irish Times

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Digital Events Print

The problem with private cars...

“The Irish transport system fosters growing car use and emissions by design and is thus unfit to enable the country to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals while improving well-being.” So asserts the OECD’s Redesigning Ireland’s Transport for Net Zero

Overall, the transport sector has been the fastest growing source of GHG emissions for three decades, with a 112 per cent increase between 1990 and 2021. Indeed, the number of private cars licenced in the State increased by 203 per cent from an average of 736,000 between 1985 and 1989, to 2.2 million in 2021.

On this current trajectory, cars will continue to dominate the public realm, contribute to urban congestion, damage our air quality and health, all while undermining the transport sector’s contribution to the national climate objective.

That electrification will play a significant role in decarbonising transport is indisputable. However, beyond 2030, prioritising the electrification of an increasing number of private passenger vehicles would serve to reinforce car dependency and offset the efficiency gains of new technologies. Similarly, simply swapping one form of private vehicle for another will not reduce traffic congestion, enhance road safety, or improve quality of life metrics.

Rather, the solution is a modal shift. Citizens must be given attractive alternatives and the Irish transport system must be redesigned via government policies which incentivise active travel, public transport, reduced journeys, and enhanced spatial and land-use planning, while simultaneously disincentivising private car use.

Fundamentally, the transformation of Ireland’s transport will require visionary leadership which breaks the electoral cycle mindset, determination to face down short-term opposition, and unified resolve to fully implement transformational policy decisions across government.

In a similar vein, in eolas Magazine’s cover story interview, Hitachi Energy Ireland Managing Director, Ruairi Williamson, outlines the opportunities of the sustainable energy future, including the electrification of public transport.

Containing dedicated reports exploring the dynamics of transport, policing, and digital government, this issue is complemented with insight from government ministers – including Transport Minister Eamon Ryan TD, Justice Minister Helen McEntee TD, and Minister of State Dara Calleary TD – alongside sectoral decision-makers. Elsewhere, interviewees and contributors include: Sinn Féin finance spokesperson, Pearse Doherty TD; DPENDPDR Assistant Secretary, Marianne Cassidy; OGCIO’s Head of Digital Services, Tony Shannon; Houses of the Oireachtas Service web manager, Karin Whooley; and Safe Ireland CEO, Mary McDermott.

Ciarán Galway

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FSC® is an acronym for the Forest Stewardship Council®, which is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that was established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. The FSC® system provides an assurance that products such as wood and paper have been harvested in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

The FSC’s Chain of Custody certification provides a way in which the material can be tracked from the certified initial source through the manufacturing process to the end user and other controlled sources.

Ireland missing carbon targets ‘by a significant

Ireland is projected to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 29 per cent by 2030 compared to a target of 51 per cent, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA has further stated that “almost all sectors are on a trajectory to exceed their national sectoral emissions ceilings for 2025 and 2030, including agriculture, electricity, transport, and industry”. In addition, the first two carbon budgets “will not be met, and by a significant margin”.

The EPA recommends that government begins to implement policies “that deliver emission reductions across all sectors in the short term”, if the 2030 targets are to be met. It further calls on government to “fully implement the actions in the 2023 Climate Action Plan that have been defined; firm up the actions that currently do not have associated policies and measures, such as diversification in agriculture; and identify and implement further policies and measures”.

Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC)

Chair Marie Donnelly says: “Growth in our population and the economy is very positive but it must take place in a way that decouples this growth from emissions. We need to decarbonise the economy and society, at greater speed and scale, while ensuring there is a just transition.”

Donnelly adds: “Whilst the projections have illustrated that Ireland has a much stronger story to tell in respect of its climate ambition than a few short years ago, we must urgently resolve the remaining policy gaps and move on swiftly to implementation.”

Varadkar and Martin commemorate Civil War victims

The two leaders of the once-warring factions of Irish politics shared a solemn moment commemorating the victims of the Civil War, laying a single wreath between them.

The inscription on the wreath read: “I gcuimhne orthu siúd go léir a cailleadh le linn Chogadh na gCarad (in memory of all those lost during the Civil War).”

The ceremony on 29 May 2023 marked

the 100-year anniversary of the ending of the Civil War with a “dump arms” order by Frank Aiken, the anti-Treaty IRA commander-in-chief on 24 May 1923, although the order was not made public until disclosed by the first Executive Council of the Irish Free State on 29 May 1923.

The Civil War, which lasted for 11 months between 1922 and 1923, saw the deaths of at least 1,400 people. It

led to a split between the once-united republican movement and characterised the differences between the two main parties of Irish politics.

At the ceremony, which took place at the Garden of Remembrance, no speeches were made by either the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste, with a prayer service by Defence Forces’ chaplain Dan McCarthy marking the only speech at the ceremony.

margin’

goals for remainder of Government’s term

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

Micheál Martin TD has set six goals for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in its statement of strategy over the remainder of the Government’s term.

Within Ireland, DFA aims to continue the Shared Island initiative and foster a stronger relationship with the UK. DFA also outlines a goal of “supporting our citizens at home and abroad, including delivery of a first-class Passport Service and Consular Service, strengthening our engagement with Irish diaspora communities”.

Looking to foreign policy more broadly, DFA outlines its aims to shape policy in the European Union, and further reiterates Ireland’s commitment to a UN-based global order, outlining aims for Ireland to be a member of the UN Human Rights’ Council in 2027-2029.

The two final goals are to continue to grow Ireland’s global influence by developing regional development strategies for different parts of the world, and to ensure that the DFA has effective board leadership.

The Tánaiste has recently been shaping

debate on the future of Ireland’s foreign and defence policies, with a review on deployment of the Defence Forces ‘triple lock’ policy among his recommendations.

Upon release of the Statement of Strategy, Martin said: “Strong coordination across government at home, and with our key allies abroad –our EU partners, the US, the UK, and others – remains key to developing sustainable and lasting responses to the many and complex challenges that Ireland is facing.”

Scope for social enterprise expansion

The social economy sector can grow, particularly through the enhancement of the Shared Island dimension, a report by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) has suggested.

Around 5 per cent of jobs in the State are linked to the social economy sector, which places Ireland just behind the UK and the EU average. There are 4,335 social enterprises in Ireland, employing 84,382 people, and engaging 74,824 volunteers. Just over half of social enterprises are microenterprises with less than 10 employees, with about one-third of

small enterprises employing 10 to 49 employees. Some 15 per cent of social enterprises in Ireland operate internationally as well as nationally.

The report finds that “embedding social enterprise would involve a stronger enterprise focus, more mechanisms and approaches, and greater attention to social and environmental considerations”. It further highlights the potential of social enterprise development on a shared island dimension, which “could be achieved by cross-border collaboration through the Peace Plus programme

and InterTradeIreland”. Other recommendations include creating an all-island social enterprise forum and conference and aligning data collection efforts.

Examples of Irish social enterprises include Foodcloud, which links supermarkets to charities and community groups so that surplus food can help address food poverty, and the Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun which is the national centre for the circular economy, recycling furniture, clothes, paint, and bicycles.

Tánaiste’s

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

AFFAIRS

New Chief Executive of An Coimisiún Toghcháin

Art O’Leary has been appointed as the Chief Executive as An Coimisiún Toghcháin. O’Leary will oversee the ongoing boundary review for Dáil constituencies ahead of the next election.

In addition to the boundary review, An Coimisiún Toghcháin has a range of functions in the areas of providing public information, research on electoral policy and promoting public awareness, and participation in

electoral and democratic processes.

In line with the Electoral Reform Act 2022, O’Leary has been appointed for a period of five years. He had already been appointed Chief Executive of An Coimisiún in December 2022 on an interim basis.

His career has included a period of seven years serving as Secretary General to the President (2014-2021). Prior to that, he was Secretary to the Constitutional Convention and also led

the citizens’ assemblies on mayoral government (2022-23) and biodiversity loss (2022).

O’Leary also worked in the Houses of the Oireachtas for over 20 years, primarily as a member of the senior management team as Director of Parliamentary Committees, Information and Communications, Human Resources, and as head of a number of procedural functions.

Sovereign wealth fund proposal presented to Cabinet

Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath TD has proposed the creation of a sovereign wealth fund as the State is to have a surplus of €10 billion in 2023 and more than €16 billion in 2024.

The Government is expecting the State to take in surpluses amounting to €65 billion between now and 2025. McGrath presented a scoping paper to the Cabinet on 9 May and the Government is believed to be weighing up the option.

The Government is anticipating a general surplus of €10 billion in 2022, rising to €16.2 billion in 2023, which can be

compared with €8 billion in 2022. Corporation tax is expected to have raised €24.3 billion in 2022, up 7 per cent on 2023.

However, the government also estimates half of this year’s projected corporate tax revenues could be potential oneoffs. By 2030, it expects to have to find €7 billion to €8 billion more per year for pensions than it did in 2020.

Precisely what the sovereign wealth fund would be used to invest in remains unclear, nor has the Government released a time scale for its implementation.

cúplafocal

“China's worldview is different from ours. Our interests and values differ. This reality will inevitably shape how we engage with one another.”

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin TD

“Growth means more throughput. More throughput means more impact. More impact means less planet.

Eternal growth precipitates the destruction of everything.” Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D Higgins

“If I went on to be the president of Ireland, a top surgeon or whatever I may wish to be, no matter what or who I am, to many people I am still just a member of the Traveller community.”

Seanadóir Eileen Flynn

“People are saying you are going to flood the land and force people out of farming. It is the exact opposite, the exact opposite.” Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD

Pearse Doherty TD: ‘Time for targeted and

interest relief’

The cost-of-living crisis is putting real pressure on household finances. For more than a year, workers and families have been dealing with the impact of high inflation, putting a further strain on disposable incomes at a time when they were already contending with high costs by European standards.

When prices rise, the first course of action households take is to find means to cut their costs, such as switching to a cheaper energy provider, shopping differently or simply cutting back on their level of consumption.

There comes a time when there is little left to cut, and there are items of expenditure which are simply non-negotiable. Many households now find themselves in this position.

A new front has opened in this cost-of-living crisis. As a result of rising interest rates, tens of thousands of mortgage borrowers are seeing their mortgage cost rise by thousands of euro in 2023. A new source of economic anxiety and pressure is bearing down on them.

It is time to introduce targeted and temporary mortgage interest relief for struggling borrowers, writes Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson, Pearse Doherty TD.

temporary mortgage

Credit: Sinn Féin

At the end of 2021, driven by supply chain bottlenecks that were stored up during the global pandemic, inflation soared. Inflation was further fuelled by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine as energy markets were plunged into turmoil, increasing the cost of electricity, gas and oil, and goods heavily dependent on them for their production or transportation.

In response, the European Central Bank (ECB) increased interest rates with the most severe round of rate hikes in decades. Since July 2022, the ECB has increased its main lending rate seven times – it is now 3.75 percentage points higher than at the beginning of summer 2022.

There has been heated discussion regarding this policy response to recent inflation – whether it addresses the contribution of increased profits, whether it can tackle supply side causes, and its impact on European growth and investment. But this discussion does not alter the facts on the ground. There are more than 700,000 outstanding mortgage accounts on primary homes. When the ECB increases its interest rates, these mortgage borrowers are impacted differently.

For those on fixed or standard variable rates, the cost of their repayments depends on the actions of their own banks. To date, retail banks have been slow to increase fixed and variable rates, although there has been some movement in recent months, with further expected in the time ahead.

There are tens of thousands of borrowers who have felt the full impact of every single rate hike by the ECB. They have received several letters in the post to inform them of their new and high mortgage repayments.

The more than 250,000 borrowers on a tracker rate have been impacted immediately and significantly. The cost of their mortgage has increased sharply at a time when the cost of almost everything else has risen.

There is another cohort of borrowers who are effectively trapped with a credit servicing firm they did not choose or want. These borrowers whose mortgage loans were sold to what are described, often accurately, as ‘vulture funds’.

Unlike the retail banks, many of these funds and credit servicing firms have hiked their rates aggressively, with some borrowers’ interest rates climbing to as

“There are tens of thousands of borrowers who have felt the full impact of every single rate hike by the ECB.”

Pearse Doherty TD, Sinn Féin finance spokesperson

State

and should support those struggling with rising mortgage costs.”

high as 8 per cent, with repayments increasing by thousands of euro annually. Many of these households are unable to fix or switch their rates.

The picture is uneven, with borrowers facing interest rate hikes at different speeds and levels. What is clear is that many households have already seen their mortgage repayments rise with further hikes on the way.

The Central Bank estimates that 20 per cent of these households will have seen their annual mortgage costs rise by over €4,800 – this was before the most recent rate hike in May 2023.

For many families, the ability to pay the mortgage is just as crucial as the ability to pay rent or an energy bill. The alternative is mortgage arrears, a buildup of debt and financial insecurity. Speaking at a recent hearing of the Finance Committee, the Money Advice and Budgeting Service said: “Interest rate hikes serve as a particularly alarming trend during a cost-of-living crisis and are having disastrous effects”.

Just as households cannot be insulated from the full impact of inflation, they cannot be insulated from the full impact of rising interest rates. Sinn Féin recognises this. Sinn Féin also

recognises that no scheme is perfect, but they can be effective. We have seen evidence of this during the pandemic and throughout this cost-of-living crisis. In this context, the State can and should support those struggling with rising mortgage costs. Sinn Féin has proposed the introduction of a Mortgage Interest Support Scheme – both temporary and targeted.

The relief would operate by absorbing a portion – not all – of borrowers’ increased interest costs. That relief would be 30 percent of the increased interest costs compared to June 2022, capped at a maximum support of €1,500 per household. And it would apply only to primary dwelling homes. For example, where a borrower’s interest costs have increased by €500 per month, they would receive relief of €150 per month.

Sinn Féin has engaged with the Parliamentary Budget Office on this proposal. It is one that would be affordable and effective.

As households continue to struggle under the cost-of-living crisis, we cannot let perfect be the enemy of the good. The Mortgage Interest Support Scheme would provide temporary and targeted relief to those facing spiralling mortgage costs.

“The

can

Credit: Sinn Féin

Offshore wind auction approves 3GW

Location of ORESS 1 Provisionally Successful Projects

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD welcomed a “breakthrough moment” for Ireland’s offshore wind future, following EirGrid’s announcement of the provisional results of the ORESS 1.

A total of six offshore wind projects were issued Maritime Area Consents (MACs) in December 2022 and successfully underwent the ORESS 1 qualification

process, however, following the Final Competition Ratio (FCR), the mechanism designed to drive competition price between bidders, only four projects were successful under ORESS 1.

The provisional results mean that of the 4.1GW of bids submitted, a combined capacity of over 3GW were accepted. Notably, these projects are currently in the early stages of making planning

applications to An Bord Pleanála, which has been resourced with a dedicated marine directorate.

The Climate Action Plan to 2020 has set an ambition of at least 5GW of offshore wind energy by 2030, all of which is set to come from fixed turbines, with an aim to have a further 2GW of power from floating wind turbines in development by 2030.

The schemes were awarded at a weighted average strike price of €86.05 per MWh, below the maximum offer price of €150, a figure which surpassed expectations.

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) under which the first offshore auction was held, represents a competitive process, through which successful projects receive two-way contracts for a guaranteed price for renewable energy generated over a period of up to 20 years. The scheme differs from the previously deployed REFIT tariff, in that it operates as an automatic protection against windfall gains, because projects are required to return the revenue difference when wholesale prices are in excess of the strike price to electricity consumers.

“The provisional results of the ORESS 1 auction are not just a hugely positive story for Irish energy consumers, but for Ireland as a whole. The results are further evidence of what many of us have known for a long time; that we, as a nation, can develop and produce enormous quantities of clean energy – securely and at low cost,” stated Ryan.

Three of the projects approved are on Ireland’s east coast, including the largest of the projects, the Codling Wind Park (1,300MW). Also on the east coast is the North Irish Sea Array (500MW) and the Dublin Array (824MW). The smallest wind farm awarded under ORESS 1 is on the west coast, the Sceirde Rocks Offshore Wind Farm.

Under the terms of the community benefit fund of ORESS 1, over €24 million per yet is set to be paid to local marine and coastal communities hosting offshore renewable energy projects.

Figure 3 shows the location of each provisionally Successful Project.

Figure 3

EirGrid - ORESS 1 Provisional Auction Results, 11 May 2023

Ireland’s historic first offshore wind auction has seen over 3GW of generation approved, with a strike price much lower than expected.

Advancing the sustainable energy future

To find out more about how the grid will support Ireland’s watershed offshore wind moment and the wider electrification of the country, eolas Magazine sat down with Ruairi Williamson, Country Managing Director of Hitachi Energy Ireland.

Ireland is at a pivotal moment in its energy future, a future destined for renewables and net zero emissions. In May 2023, the country successfully held its first-ever offshore wind auction with four projects, combining for a total capacity of 3GW. It is undoubtedly a breakthrough moment for renewables in Ireland and critical to achieving the targets set in the 2030 Climate Action Plan.

So, is Ireland full steam ahead to become an offshore wind leader? Not quite. While identifying and funding renewable projects is an integral first step, the equally important role of managing the energy generated so they can light up homes or power vehicles cannot be forgotten.

Something in the wind

Williamson has not led Hitachi Energy’s Irish operations for very long; in fact, it has only been two months. But the timing almost seems perfect considering the new direction of Ireland’s energy mix. A new face for a new time.

Delivering sustainable technologies and solutions for its customers is at the core of Hitachi Energy’s mission. With more offshore wind projects expected to come online throughout 2030, and Ireland striving to have 5GW of installed offshore wind capacity and a further 2GW of floating wind capacity under development by 2030, it is clear where Williamson’s focus is.

“Capitalising on offshore wind is a key strategic goal for us, both in terms of delivering for the planet and our customers,” says Williamson, adding: “We need to be adaptable to where the market is heading and ready with the right combination of products and services to help our customers accelerate the energy transition.”

Collaboration

Williamson is aware that the energy transition will not be without its challenges, particularly as companies start to navigate their new landscape. With the increasing integration of renewable energy sources like offshore wind or solar, the grid must adapt to accommodate their intermittent nature. Unlike traditional fossil fuels, some renewables are subject to weather conditions and variable generation patterns, which can lead to grid instability and balancing issues if the right solutions are not in place.

The decentralised nature of renewable

energy has accelerated the need for new infrastructure and technologies to efficiently transmit and distribute power –and this is where Hitachi Energy comes in. All over the world, the company has been collaborating with partners in the utility, industry, and infrastructure sectors to integrate the latest technological advancements, upgrade ageing grids, and develop new ones to handle higher capacities, and incorporate smart grid solutions to manage fluctuating energy flow.

Innovative grid components using power electronics can provide the operational flexibility needed to enable grids to become more efficient. Sensors can provide the necessary information and digital solutions can process the huge amount of information in intelligent grid control centres. This enables faster decision-making in a much more dynamic environment than ever observed in the past.

In March 2023, Hitachi Energy, alongside Petrofac, announced it had been selected by TenneT, the Dutch-German

transmission system operator, to supply multiple record-breaking renewable integration systems, each with a capacity of 2GW and a voltage level of 525 kV – a world-first for offshore wind. Closer to Ireland, Hitachi Energy is supporting a new HVDC link to connect the Shetland Islands to the UK transmission system, helping to transmit wind power generated on the islands.

Williamson sees the opportunity to bring technology like the HVDC Light converter stations to Ireland. “At a global level, Hitachi Energy has been focused on creating a standardised approach that can be tailored for local markets. This has not happened overnight. It is the result of decades of working with our customers to support them in making the energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure.

“As a leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future, we must push the boundaries of technology and innovation together with our customers and partners to create a suite of infrastructure solutions which help

4

“Capitalising on offshore wind is a key strategic goal for us, both in terms of delivering for the planet and our customers.”

Ruairi Williamson, Country Managing Director of Hitachi Energy

operators overcome their new challenges.”

Backbone of the future energy system

Ireland’s leap into the new frontier of offshore wind is part of the much larger energy transition, propelled by the need to reduce emissions and, ultimately, reach net zero by 2050. “We are in the critical decade of accelerating climate action and must act now to guarantee a sustainable energy future for all.

Renewable integration is one piece of the jigsaw, but there are multiple other pieces which must also fall into place, such as electrification. The forecasts all come to the same conclusion: the carbon-neutral world is electric,” the Country Managing Director asserts.

Williamson is focused on how Hitachi

Energy can electrify transportation. “In the past 10 years, we have seen the electric vehicle market mature along with a greater degree of adoption. Across Europe there are now 480,000 charging points and in Ireland we saw EV sales nearly double last year. In the public sector space, we are also seeing local authorities start to electrify their bus fleets and turn their eye to maritime and rail,” he remarks.

Indeed, Hitachi Energy has already been working to electrify one of Ireland’s leading bus fleets by providing the new infrastructure needed for in-depot charging. The company’s Grid-eMotion Fleet smart charging solution means that buses connect to grid-to-plug charging while not out on the roads. It also offers the smallest footprint for the connection as well as low noise emissions and high reliability – three key requirements for bus

depots in a densely populated urban environment, where space is limited, and seamless charging is vital to ensure buses run on time.

“I have found the best way to work with our Irish customers is to engage early while they are setting out their decarbonisation strategies,” Williamson outlines when discussing how Hitachi Energy partners with its customers. “The feedback we received is that there is real benefit in understanding the solutions available at that initial stage. By partnering as early as possible, our customers can work in their chosen products at the planning phase, rather than factor them in later down the line.”

A suite of services

Hitachi Energy positions itself as a “trusted lifecycle partner for customers looking for reliable, sustainable, and cost-effective service solutions”. Its teams work closely with partners to optimise their energy infrastructure today and for the future.

“Navigating today’s rapidly evolving energy landscape requires a suite of essential services. These critical services enable assets to perform as expected throughout their lifecycle, even under the most challenging conditions. Our solutions enable our customers to minimise downtime, reduce maintenance costs, and enhance safety, all while maximising productivity and profitability,” Williamson notes, commenting on his confidence that Hitachi Energy can respond where required.

“With 250 years of combined heritage to pull from, I believe we are well positioned to match our customers’ challenges with the right solution. Through leveraging our knowledge and expertise, our goal is to help our customers streamline operations, enhance efficiencies, and move them towards a cleaner and more resilient energy future.”

Wider team

Delivering on customer challenges is not just about products and services, it is also about the team behind them. Williamson is proud to represent an Irish organisation now boasting 75 colleagues and a wealth of industry knowledge. Fresh into his new leadership role, Williamson is aware of just how valuable the support of the wider team is.

“Every day I am impressed by the talent

“We envision a thriving future for Ireland, where our energy sector not only meets our needs sustainably but also fuels the growth of our economy.”

we have at our disposal. We have colleagues who have been working in the sector for between 10 and 15 years and who know the intricacies of the Irish market. For me personally, as someone who has been in the energy industry all my career, it is brilliant to be part of such a strong team.”

Underpinned by the Diversity 360 approach, Hitachi Energy’s vision to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of its long-term business success. As such, the company is accelerating its focus on delivering a brilliant employee experience to attract and grow talent.

Williamson has ambitions to keep growing his team’s capabilities. There is a real push to bring more skilled energy sector jobs to Ireland, especially with the energy transition taking place. Upscaling and making data centres more sustainable, electrifying transport, and increasing the focus on software; these are all new areas for the business which provide growth opportunities.

“We envision a thriving future for Ireland, where our energy sector not only meets our needs sustainably but also fuels the growth of our economy and creates valuable job opportunities for our people,” Williamson enthuses. “By investing in and expanding our local energy sector, we are not only securing our energy independence but also nurturing an economy that generates jobs, empowers communities, and paves the way for a brighter, more sustainable Ireland.”

Focus on safety

Another integral part of creating a fair and equal workplace is making sure colleagues and partners are always protected. Hitachi Energy’s focus on health and safety revolves around three

Profile: Ruairi Williamson

key elements: training; risk management; and accountability.

Colleagues at all levels are given the right skills and knowledge to effectively take responsibility for their own and their colleagues’ safety. This is fostered through an atmosphere of personal empowerment, giving every Hitachi Energy colleague the keys to their safety.

“Health and safety are our license to operate,” Williamson says, elaborating: “The well-being of my team is my primary priority, which is why we have a set of procedures in place to eliminate as many potentially hazardous moments as possible.”

Energising the future

The picture illustrated by Williamson is of a team positioning itself to meet Ireland’s energy transition via new leadership coinciding with Ireland’s first offshore wind auction, a drive to electrify Ireland’s roads, and a team to deliver on their solutions.

However, that is not to say Hitachi Energy can deliver the energy transition on its own. Far from it. Williamson acknowledges that only through collaboration – working across sectors, across stakeholders, and the entire value chain – will Ireland be able to successfully move towards a renewable-backed, net zero grid.

“We, along with our ecosystem of partners, are now in the middle of an almost perfect storm. The opportunities are there, we just need to make sure we grab them with both hands. We must come together, from energy suppliers and grid operators to OEMs and policymakers, to embrace the challenges that lie ahead and deliver the energy infrastructure for the future,” he concludes.

Ruairi Williamson, a native of Crossmaglen, County Armagh, has now settled in Terenure, Dublin. Ruairi began his education in Abbey CBS Grammar, Newry before undertaking a BEng in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Liverpool. Upon graduation Ruairi joined Suretank Group and spent time in the energy industry in south east Asia, Western Australia, and west Africa. Ruairi returned to Dublin, and industrial technology, with Fluke Corporation. Ruairi completed an MBA in the Smurfit School of Business and experienced an exchange in the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business. Ruairi is a member of the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire and participates in the twice-weekly cruiser racing series with Thursday night racing always a highlight.

Department of Finance issues climate guidance to public sector

The Climate Action Roadmap outlines how each public body aims to meet the requirements of the Climate Action Mandate 2022 and how the public sector will reach its 2030 carbon and energy efficiency targets.

Released by the Department of Finance on 2 May 2023, the roadmap calls for the appointment of a Climate and Sustainability Champion in each public body.

It is intended that the Department’s role in helping the public sector reach its climate ambitions should be to advise those bodies of their responsibilities and share other relevant information from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC).

It is further outlined that these bodies should remain wholly responsible for their own internal operational actions to address their respective mandates.

This requirement applies to all public bodies, other than local authorities, commercial semistate bodies and schools, each of which have their own respective targets.

A letter from the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan TD, in July 2022 asked the Department of Finance to “arrange to have all the relevant public sector bodies under your remit advised of the requirement to adopt the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate”.

It was Minister Ryan’s letter which originally called for the appointment of a “Climate and Sustainability Champion who will be responsible for implementing and reporting annually on the Public Sector Mandate in the Department”.

At a meeting on 29 August 2022, the Executive Board of the Department of Finance adopted the mandate and assigned the role of Climate and Sustainability Champion to the Principal Officer in the Strategic Economic Development Division with responsibility for climate and sustainable finance. The Head of Corporate Affairs with responsibility for FMU, who is also currently the Department of Finance’s Energy Performance Officer (required under the Public Sector Energy Strategy 2017), will also play a role – and climate advice may be provided by the Climate Unit when required.

Strategic adaptability

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has advised that the Climate Action Mandate may be changed in updates to the Climate Action Plan (CAP). Additional guidance will be issued by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) if necessary, and public bodies would be given at least three months from issue of such guidance to update their roadmaps to reflect any revised Climate Action Mandate requirements.

Irrespective of whether the Climate Action Mandate is updated in the CAP, the report advises that public bodies should review their roadmaps annually. These annual reviews, the Department advises, should include a summary of progress made against the plans set out in the previous year’s roadmap, assess progress against meeting the mandate requirements, and a statement on when they will be achieved or delivered.

It is further explained that SEAI’s public sector monitoring and reporting system will track progress towards the energy efficiency and energy related carbon targets.

Governance, scope, and resourcing

The wider policy actions in which the Department of Finance has a role in respect of climate action are not the focus of the Climate Action Roadmap, as those have been previously outlined in documents such as the Climate Action Plan and its updates, as well as the Programme for Government.

Instead, this plan is focused on the organisational-level actions the Department of Finance could take to meet this mandate, many of which will be undertaken in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDPDR).

The Department of Finance has a reciprocal shared services arrangement in place with the DPENDPDR. As part of this, the Department of Finance provides facilities management services to DPENDPDR in respect of all of the buildings it uses, with the exception of Spencer Dock, where the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) are based.

In this context, it is planned that the Department of Finance will work closely with DPENDPDR on many of the initiatives set out in the roadmap. The main reason for this is that the Department’s Facilities Management Unit (FMU) provides the following services for both departments:

• accommodation for the Department of Finance and DPENDPDR staff within the buildings under FMU’s remit including services relating to such accommodation;

• cleaning services, minor works, heating, lighting, waste management and provision of furniture; and

• providing data and information to enable DPENDPDR to report on resource efficiency and energy usage.

Updating the Public Spending Code to enhance the delivery of capital projects

Following the recent changes to the Public Spending Code (PSC) and ahead of the publication of the Infrastructure Guidelines which will supersede it, KPMG Ireland hosted a round table discussion with key public service and semi-state bodies and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform to discuss how Ireland might enhance the delivery of capital projects.

What has the recent update to the Public Spending Code meant for the delivery of capital projects?

Paolo Carbone

Having a process that is structured and applies to every sector across the Public Service is an advantage that makes projects more transparent to the public and enables a consistent approach. In other jurisdictions, in the absence of a Public Spending Code, I have observed significant disparities in the extent of project appraisal. Streamlining decisionmaking will make the process leaner. From TII’s perspective, it will not reduce the workload significantly, primarily because our preliminary business cases are quite detailed, but it will remove some

elements of the process and that is obviously a positive development.

Padraic Fogarty

Having external assurance for major projects at one rather two gates should reduce timelines by at least six months, so that is welcome. Having the external assurance at gate one rather than gate two is appropriate because it is at a point in the project where there is a preferred option, and, typically, enough detail to carry out a review prior to getting into substantial expenditure on the project. Government consent is now required only at gates one and three and that should also help in terms of reducing timelines for the delivery of critical infrastructure projects across the State.

Round table discussion hosted by

Kevin Meaney

The review into the Public Spending Code started in 2022 and the Department was keen to hear the views of all the relevant sectors as it is difficult for us to see the length of time it takes for projects to be approved within sectors. This included the perspectives of senior officials from across the government departments with significant public expenditure, and personnel from the units that undertake spending reviews on behalf of the ministers. The timeline we were provided with from sectors, for the strategic assessment, was between three and four months just to get a project approved internally. DPENDPDR took that on board and acknowledged that a significant amount of time was taken up with internal processes and was the reasoning behind removing that decision gate. For consideration at decision gate two, the feedback was that removing the second round of external reviews could possibly save six months or more. Indeed, the feedback that we are receiving is that the changes made could save up to 10 months on a major project.

Paul O’Neill

The changes are welcome and have been well received, particularly collapsing the Strategic Assessment Report into the Preliminary Business Case as they tended to overlap. The removal of government approval at pre-tender stage is welcome as project delivery timelines tend to come under more scrutiny at this point and key stakeholders/project managers are keen to drive on and get projects moving into the tender phase, whereas there tends to be more flexibility at the planning stage. The removal of the major project review at the final business case is also welcome as we have found it can create uncertainty in the wider market around delivery risk and the potential for project changes. However, it is also about striking the right balance on the changes to the Public Spending Code as the checks and safeguards are still necessary.

Freda Quinlan

This most recent update to the Public Spending Code illustrates that the Government is committed to an agile approach to project delivery that adapts to changing conditions. The announcement that government is no longer the approving authority for major projects helps to enshrine the responsibility and accountability with those charged with day-to-day oversight and delivery. It also optimises decision-making in the frontend, helping to move towards governance that is value adding as opposed to procedural. It also helps to ensure greater certainty in terms of front-end timelines and that is particularly important in a public sector context. There are reduced cost implications, and it is important that we are careful to optimise the current timelines in the face of future inflationary impacts driven by delayed approvals.

How has the increase in the major project threshold impacted capital projects below the threshold?

Freda Quinlan

It is dependent on both the delivery agencies and the approving authority, but the NTA, for example, has a robust set of project approval guidelines across different bands of investment to ensure that the governance of these schemes is appropriate to the level of investment, and we have undertaken work to streamline our activities in that regard. Ultimately, timeliness is crucial. The public and political system want to see delivery. In 4

Round table participants

Paolo Carbone

Paolo Carbone has dedicated his entire career to the development of public transport in Europe. Currently, he is the Head Of Light Rail and Metro capital programmes with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and a member of the project board for MetroLink. His responsibilities include delivery of the Luas portfolio from inception to operational start-up and providing strategic advice to the leadership and board of TII. Previously, he was involved in leadership positions in the delivery of Luas since 2001 as contractor and since 2005 with TII. He is a chartered engineer with Engineers Ireland and the chair of the Light Rail Committee of UITP.

Padraic Fogarty

Padraic Fogarty is post investment review lead with Uisce Éireann. Prior to joining the Irish Water programme in August 2012, he worked for 30 years in engineering consultancy in the water sector. He had a key role in implementing the Public Spending Code in Uisce Éireann as part of its Invest to Outcome process. A graduate of University of Galway, he is a chartered engineer and Fellow of Engineers Ireland.

Kevin Meaney

Meaney is a Principal Officer in the National Investment Office of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. He led on the development of the recent National Development Plan 2021-2030 and has responsibility for Public Spending Code policy, including implementing recent amendments to the code. He leads the secretariat function for the Project Ireland 2040 Delivery Board and the Construction Sector Group (CSG). Previously worked in the Department of Health and in other roles in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. He is a member of the Irish Government’s Economic and Evaluation Service (IGEES) and holds a BA and MA in economics from UCD.

Paul O’Neill

O’Neill is a chartered accountant and is managing director in KPMG’s infrastructure and government advisory team. O’Neill has over 20 years’ experience advising on the funding of largescale capital projects across the public and private sector. In his previous role as head of financial advisory for the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), O’Neill advised ministers, government departments, agencies, and local authorities on large-scale public capital projects. Prior to working with the NDFA, O’Neill was a senior associate with KBC Project Finance Ireland, responsible for arranging debt funding for large scale infrastructure projects across Europe.

Freda Quinlan

Quinlan is the Head of the National Transport Authority in Ireland’s Capital Programme Office, responsible for the financial management and governance of a € 15+ billion capital programme over the lifetime of Ireland’s current National Development Plan. Prior to joining the NTA, she garnered diverse experience across a broad range of industries in both the public and private sectors – transport, management consulting, supply chain and operations, and retail. She recently graduated second in her class from Oxford University, having completed a master’s in major programme management in September 2022. Quinlan recently completed research with the University of Oxford on the institutional barriers and enablers to effective risk management across major public programmes in Ireland. She is a qualified chartered accountant and holds a bachelor of commerce first class honours degree from University College Cork.

that respect, this is a positive step forward.

Paolo Carbone

TII’s light rail and metro programme schemes are generally above the threshold, but it helps with projects such as our fleet supply programme. We now have a more appropriate scaling of future competitions for vehicles which is an important factor because it gives the market greater volume. Removing a barrier that is beyond our control is reassuring for the market.

Paul O’Neill

Practically, it provides more flexibility and discretion to sponsoring departments and agencies and should allow project timelines to be mapped out more clearly. Though we still need to ensure the oversight is in place so that the changes to the Public Spending Code have the desired effect to drive more efficiencies and accelerate project delivery timelines. This is something that we must be mindful of.

Padraic Fogarty

There is a particular benefit for those projects between €100 million and €200 million, in that the external assurance process will no longer apply. Overall, I would say that the process required at

each stage of a project remains the same from a delivery perspective and the focus is on what happens at each of the decision gates. In terms of the remaining gates that involve external approvals, there may be further measures that can be taken to improve the efficiencies to achieve quicker delivery of projects.

Kevin Meaney

The full approvals process is still in place

for projects below the increased threshold, and while some of the full requirements may not be requested, the decision gates are still points at which decisions need to be taken. However, this can now happen within a sector rather than requiring an external viewpoint. There are sectors that have a lot of those projects who have very good processes in place while there is still some work to do in others, which more commonly have less of these projects of scale. From the feedback of sectors, particularly transport, it was clear that major €1 billion plus programmes broke into many projects in the range from €100 million to €200 million. A significant advantage of the reformed Public Spending Code is that once these programmes of substantial expenditure are approved at the preliminary stage, these projects of between €100 million and €200 million can advance with greater certainty to the procurement stage, and therefore, it gives that bit of certainty to the market.

How significant is the condensed project approval process to the timely delivery of major capital projects and, ultimately, aligned government policy objectives?

Kevin Meaney

There is still significant external focus on the preliminary business case stage, and the Department feels that this is the time to catch mistakes and implement

“I regularly speak with international companies, and they are adamant that they will not sign contracts with a limitation of liability.” Paolo Carbone

“Given the scale and breadth of the National Development Plan, we need to be very cognisant of the need to capture the wider international market.”

Paul O’Neill

mitigations. It is intended to strike a balance between good rigorous assessment of projects and while ensuring timeliness; these are big projects and if they do go wrong, they can go badly wrong. We are trying to ensure that we are not overtly delaying the process and striking the right balance between getting through the right process and getting to market as soon as we can, while mitigating risks at an early stage.

Paolo Carbone

I would like to see more engagement on the incremental assurance because approving a preliminary business case for TII projects still takes between 12 and 18 months. While the preliminary business case merely allows an application for planning to be made, at that point it will have required most of the money it takes to get to planning. TII has developed a cost forecasting mechanism – applied in the first instance to MetroLink project –with multi-stage estimates and verification, alongside an expert judgment panel complete with international perspective. I am a believer in the process of external assurances but there is some work to be completed to avoid duplication; asking the same questions up to three times.

Paul O’Neill

We talk about the streamlining of some governance oversight, but it is about achieving a balance. The preparation of business cases is not about creating an industry; we need to continue to challenge and question however we can create and deliver even more efficiencies and not produce overly complex and detailed reports just for the sake of it. Similarly, we are observing the fact that often preliminary business cases are still not happening early enough in the project lifecycle, and this is adding to the delays.

Freda Quinlan

For the NTA, in terms of achieving greater efficiency, encapsulating elements of the strategic assessment report within the preliminary business case has been a great step forward because we struggled at that stage with optioneering given that work had already been completed and embedded within our transport strategies. In terms of streamlining the approval process, it should take an important step forward in focusing on scrutiny and validation of decisions. This will avoid the illusion of objectivity and transparency and instead focus on what decisions have been taken and if they are the right ones.

Padraic Fogarty

While there are benefits in condensing the project approval process, I would say that

some of the changes appear to be cosmetic without adding any real value. In particular, I would like to highlight the combining of stages five and six of the project lifecycle. As the Project Completion report and Ex-post Evaluation report will need to be prepared independently of each other, there appears to be no real benefit to the combining of the stages. This links to a broader point on implementation of the Public Spending Code. Following the update of the code in December 2019, Uisce Éireann undertook significant work to update our policies, standard operating procedures, reporting, guidance, training, etcetera. In 2023, the new infrastructure guidelines could have a similar impact, with some changes not actually benefiting project delivery timelines. It would be beneficial, therefore, if there was better engagement with the public bodies most impacted prior to finalising the Infrastructure Guidelines.

What opportunities could be unlocked by the independent assessment of National Development Plan priorities and capacity?

Padraic Fogarty

While a review of the NDP was completed in 2021 and fed into NDP 2021-2030, there needs to be flexibility in terms of delivery to take account of challenges such as inflation and supply change

challenges. There is more that can be done in terms of alignment of projects undertaken by different agencies, particularly projects that are supporting growth. It should also be acknowledged that many of the challenges relating to capabilities, whether in supply chain, contracting, or planning, are a legacy of the major economic downturn from the late 2000s. We must comprehensively examine this impact, how we move on from it and, where possible, avoid future similar impacts.

Freda Quinlan

Given the extent of the public investment portfolio, we are at risk of contributing to inflationary pressures by overheating the market. There are mitigations that we need to follow. In respect of some of NTA schemes such as MetroLink and BusConnects, we have received derogations from the Government Construction Contracts Committee to transition to more collaborative forms of contract. We have received very strong feedback from the market, both domestically and in Europe that most contractors are unwilling to tender for Ireland’s public works contracts. That is a 4

“We need to consider a broader definition of value for money, and possibly, over time, move towards a capitals model.” Padraic Fogarty

strategic decision. As an industry, we must come together and work through those challenges.

Paolo Carbone

Firstly, the form of contract is a key challenge. I regularly speak with international companies, and they are adamant that they will not sign contracts with a limitation of liability. Their boards will not permit it. For instance, on Luas Cross City there was practically no international participation on a light rail contract in excess of €100 million, in a country that was attractive in the middle of a global recession. None of the European players could sign off on the unlimited liability. Secondly, most countries use major capital programmes for the purpose of developing skillsets and capabilities across the economy. For instance, during Crossrail in London, there were various academies to upskill workers. Likewise, in Germany, apprenticeships are enshrined in the economy. That is something that we need to seriously examine. In practice, it improves the social benefits of projects.

Paul O’Neill

Currently, there is an overreliance on core

domestic contractors and many international players have left the Irish market in recent years. It is no coincidence that the success of infrastructure delivery in the last 20 years – particularly in the roads sector – was down to international players joining up with domestic players. They are unlikely to return unless the form of contracts strikes the right balance. Given the scale and breadth of the National Development Plan, we need to be very cognisant of this and the need to capture the wider international market.

Kevin Meaney

The independent assessment is going to cover broad areas of need including capacity and prioritisation at quite a high level and is planned to be completed by summer 2023. It is not a review of NDP 2021-2030 in terms of a new plan but will inform the addition of sectoral allocations for 2026, 2027, and 2028 to retain the rolling five-year certainty that sectors need when planning out their projects. In terms of capacity, DPENDPDR has observed substantial under delivery in some sectors while other sectors could have achieved more. Therefore, a rebalancing of capacity is required. The

solution is upskilling and training. However, it may take some time before we catch up and that is the challenge the State faces right now, given the number of capital projects that it has planned.

How can the forthcoming Infrastructure Guidelines ensure an appropriate balance between adequate scrutiny, ESG obligations, value for money, and streamlined capital project delivery?

Paul

O’Neill

Sustainability is key and the Public Spending Code has an ambition to drive sustainable finance throughout public investment need. Climate risk and sustainability is a prerequisite of all infrastructure projects, and it is much more cost effective to consider it at the outset of projects rather than retrofitting it in at a later stage. The current framework is very much around financial and economic assessments, but we must establish ways to ensure that ESG obligations are captured up front as part of the assessments. Flexibility is essential but the Infrastructure Guidelines are needed to drive the agenda.

Padraic Fogarty

Alongside biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation are central to all our infrastructure projects. The approach taken to ESG obligations will vary from sector to sector and the Infrastructure Guidelines should provide a general framework, allowing for sector specific guidelines to address the requirements in the context of the relevant sector. Requirements will also change over time and the appropriate updating of sector specific guidelines is perhaps the most appropriate way of dealing with this. It is fair to say that we are still at the learning stage, firstly, in measuring climate change and biodiversity impacts and secondly, in establishing appropriate measures to address those impacts. This is closely linked to how we define value for money, taking account of the climate change and biodiversity crises. Currently, there is a significant focus in the Public Spending Code on shadow carbon pricing. I would respectfully suggest that maybe that is a very narrow approach to take. We need to consider a broader definition of value for money, and possibly, over time, move towards a capitals model, balancing nature-based solutions against cheaper more carbon intensive solutions.

“In terms of the Infrastructure Guidelines, there must be more of an openness to consideration of social, as well as economic, outcomes.”

Kevin Meaney

Kevin Meaney

In 2019, there was a body of work undertaken around international best practice, that examined broader considerations of project delivery. Prior to 2019, the guidelines mostly focused on value for money. As part of the wider focus on project delivery, DPENDPDR linked in with its Office of Government Procurement colleagues to make sure that cost-benefit analysis process and procurement process were better aligned. Rigour is still going to be a significant component of the Infrastructure Guidelines. However, we reviewed the process by which projects face external review or government review and determined that this is best captured at the preliminary business case stage while retaining rigour. Up to now, environmental obligations have mainly been driven by the shadow carbon pricing. Given the new national climate objectives, we are reviewing that and want to capture wider environmental impacts. We are also examining how we approach cost-benefit analysis over the whole life cycle of a project. For example, considering whether we are adequately factoring in the carbon reductions that the subsequent use of a piece of infrastructure can unlock, or alternatively, the induced carbon of new infrastructure. Alongside the Infrastructure Guidelines, our OGP colleagues are examining the balance of construction cost with lifecycle costs. However, the guidelines are going to be high level in nature and sectors will need to apply them specifically for their projects.

Freda Quinlan

An increased focus on outcomes would be helpful. That is the neglected point of the time, cost, and outcomes triangle. It is the element that often resonates most powerfully with the public. Recently, a major study in the UK concluded that the public wants government to highlight the benefits and outcomes of billion-euro programmes. We must reorientate towards this and, with that, focus from right to left – start with the end in mind and work backwards from there in terms of what decisions need to be taken and when to facilitate the achievement of outcomes by a given date. In relation to ESG, significant emphasis is put on the environmental aspect and not enough on the social aspect, specifically diversity, equality, and inclusion. We must examine this and how we design the society we wish to see. Many existing elements of our system are targeted towards preserving the status quo and because

we are challenged by capacity, the smaller market context, and the ambition for delivery, we must utilise social levers to expand the opportunities around talent and skillsets available to us.

Paolo Carbone

I agree with Freda that we must focus on outcomes. I also agree that we need more cross pollination with other jurisdictions and industries. If you speak with other people on the entire topic of capital projects, every delivery agency will complain about the process that they have. In the Italian news, there is an ongoing debate about a mega project that has been mooted several times starting with the post-Second World War Marshall Plan. It is the bridge over the sound between Sicily and continental Italy. The current Italian Government is infrastructure orientated and determined to build the bridge. The Minister of Transport, Matteo Salvini, complained in a recent interview that this initiative was hindered by the process, and he said that if Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci had to submit an application to a cost-benefit commission in Italy, we would not have the locks on the Milanese Navigli and several other masterpieces.

Kevin Meaney

We do not operate in a vacuum. Sometimes there is a push behind a particular project and judging by outcomes, you might suggest that there is no obvious need. It is also possible that sectors are focusing on the wrong outcomes in terms of putting forward a business case. DPENDPDR supports a greater focus on outcomes and on the delivery of infrastructure that will deliver significant change. In terms of the Infrastructure Guidelines, there must be more of an openness to consideration of social, as well as economic, outcomes. If the methodology is well organised from the outset or has been set within sectoral guidelines, the Department is open to the idea of a multicriteria analysis because there is added flexibility in capturing less quantifiable social and environmental criteria. This would allow us to capture wider impacts than a pure value for money tool, such as a CBA, where externalities are hard to quantify.

“We must utilise social levers to expand the opportunities around talent and skillsets available to us.” Freda Quinlan

Census highlights housing crisis

Census 2022 outlines that there are now 330,632 homes rented from private landlords, and the proportion of owner-occupied homes has fallen from almost 70 per cent to 66 per cent, in the 11 years to 2022.

Furthermore, among renters, those in the private sector have seen the biggest increases in housing costs. The cost of rent for private sector renters went up by 37 per cent between 2016 and 2022, to an average of €272.91 per week. Meanwhile, those in local authority housing, with arguably a far greater security of tenure, saw their rent increase by 14 per cent to an average of €77.92 per week.

The pressure being placed on private sector

renters is exemplified by the fact that 109,000 households are paying €300 a week or more, which is more than double the figure (48,933) for 2016. In addition, there were nearly four times as many households paying €400 a week or more in 2022 than there were in 2016.

The 2022 Census also reported that the number of homes rented from local authorities increased by 7 per cent, to 153,192.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD has stated that the trend of declining homeownership, consistent in every census since 1991, is “starting to reverse”.

The results of Census 2022 have highlighted the increasing secularity of the State and pose some stark facts for decisionmakers about the scale of Ireland’s housing crisis.

Population of 26 counties by census

The Census reports that the State has a homeownership rate of 66 per cent, which represents a 13 percentage point decline from the 79.3 per cent homeownership rate in 1991.

Furthermore, in all of the recent censuses (1991, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2022), the rate of homeownership has declined compared to the rate recorded in the prior Census.

Although it is yet to be seen if the Government’s Housing for All policy will lead to a reversal of this trend, as O’Brien has promised, the fact that the rate of homeownership has not kept pace with the economic recovery since the 2000s financial crisis can only be characterised as a failure in the sector.

A further point of interest emerged in that the average size of a household in the State is 2.74, which, according to the noted property company Savills, is “noticeably exceeding the European average of 2.2″

Savills commented on the Census results that despite “a minor dip from 2.75 in 2016, the number has essentially stagnated, due largely to the scarcity of new housing supply”.

This represents what the company describes as “a staggering 32 per cent increase since 2016, and this shift has directly influenced the average household size, effectively holding it steady since 2016”. “The lack of new housing on the market has been instrumental in causing this shift, underlining the pressing need for new residential development.”

According to Savills, 453,000 homes would need to be constructed to bring Ireland in line with the European average and alleviate crowded households. The latest Housing for All progress report states that construction on 27,309 units commenced in the 12 months ending March 2023, which is 22 per cent below the prior 12-month period.

Religion and population

It is the first time in 171 years that the population of the State’s 26 counties have exceeded the five million threshold. There are 5,149,139 people in the State which marks an 8 per cent increase since 2016.

Although there is a notable trend away from Catholicism and Irishness in the State, it remains the most dominant religious background in Ireland by a considerable margin. In addition, whilst Ireland is seeing growth in its population, the rate of growth is not forecast to increasing by a considerable margin.

This is important to bear in mind as a study by Irish Economic and Social History has shown that if Ireland had not experienced the population decline attributed the Famine, that her population would most likely stand in the tens of millions, meaning that overpopulation does not present any immediate challenge to Ireland.

While much of the conversation about Census 2022 is how the population of the Republic of Ireland has breached five million, when the figures published are added to the Census 2021 figures from the North, the total population of Ireland now stands at 7,052,314. Pre-Famine, the population of Ireland was just over eight million, leaving Ireland’s population around 13 per cent short of its peak in the 19th century.

The increasing diversity of the State’s population is exemplified with the number of people with dual Irish citizenship, 170,597. This represents a 63 per cent increase from 2016. In addition, the proportion of the population who identify as Roman Catholic as their religion has fallen from 79 per cent in 2016 to 69 per cent in 2022.

Census data suggests that the number of people identifying with ‘no religion’ increased has by 57 per cent from 468,421 in 2016 to 736,210 in 2022. Irreligious people now represent 14 per cent of the State population.

This divergence from Catholicism is perhaps best exemplified in Dublin, where only 53 per cent of the population now identifies as Catholic, and where almost one-quarter (24 per cent) of the Dublin populations states that they have ‘no religion’.

This religious diversity is mirrored with an increasing racial diversity in the State, with 77 per cent of the overall population now identifying as ‘white Irish’, meaning 4

Source: CSO

that almost one-quarter of the State’s population are of an ethnic minority or immigrant background. Indeed, 16 per cent of the population of the State are not Irish, with 84 per cent of respondents having described themselves as such.

Irish language

On the Irish language, the Census results show that the number of people who indicated that they could speak Irish increased by 6 per cent between 2016 and 2022 to 1.9 million, or 40 per cent of the population aged three or more, although there was a marginal decrease in the number who have said they can speak Irish “very well”.

Green Party Waterford representative Marc Ó Cathasaigh TD has said that the Census 2022 figures on the Irish language represent “an opportunity to be grasped” and has encouraged people to engage with it. “There are so many ways to reignite your relationship with the Irish language, from ciorcal cómhrá to classes to just switching the dial on the radio,” Ó Cathasaigh said.

Key takeaways

Other points of interest in Census 2022 were that, in addition to the increase in population, there has been a marginal increase in the average age of the population from 37.4 in 2016 to 38.8 in 2022.

With the Covid-19 pandemic having accelerated a change in working patterns since 2020, the Census has found that approximately one-third of all workers (747,961 people) currently work from home for at least some part of their week.

The housing crisis continues to persist and has manifested itself most profoundly among those renting in the private sector, a demographic which tends to be among the lease economically prosperous. This entrapment in a high-rent lifestyle means that homeownership is continuing to decline. Whilst a number of initiatives from government are underway, time will tell as to whether these will reverse a now decades-long decline in homeownership.

More broadly, Ireland is changing, although this is not as a vast scale and will not likely result in any cultural profound change to Irish society. There is a new generation of Irish people which is less white, less religious and, apparently, less prosperous.

Source: CSO

Expansion of abortion services bill reaches passes Dáil vote

With just one-in-10 Irish GPs providing abortion services five years after the repeal of the Eighth Amendment, a Private Member’s Bill introduced by Bríd Smith TD that aims to fully decriminalise abortion and remove the three-day wait and 12-week limit has progressed through the Dáil Second Stage.

With government TDs given a free vote on People Before Profit TD Smith’s Bill, the Government was defeated 67-64, with eight abstentions and 11 government TDs voting with Smith. A previous amendment brought by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD to freeze the bill for a year had been defeated 7461, with government TDs also voting with the opposition in that case.

Smith’s Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Bill 2023, if passed, will amend the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 and fully decriminalise abortion, provide for abortion on request prior to foetal viability, abolish the three-day waiting period for abortion, allow for abortion on grounds of fatal foetal abnormality that are likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before or within a year of birth, and allow for abortion

where there is a risk to the life, or of serious harm to the health, of the pregnant woman.

Chief among the reasons for Donnelly –who has stated that Smith’s Bill “goes miles beyond what people voted for [in 2018]” – attempting to freeze the bill for one year was his wish to study the findings of a review of abortion services by the barrister Marie O’Shea. O’Shea’s report found that half of the State’s counties have fewer than 10 GP contracts for the provision of abortion and that nine counties have fewer than five, with both Longford and Monaghan having only one each.

The report called for the expansion of services, noting that roughly 90 per cent of GPs and eight out of 19 hospitals do not provide abortion services under the current law. The Cabinet has been told

that a further four hospitals will commence provision of services in 2023. In terms of the ratio of GPs providing abortion to the population, Wicklow has the lowest, with one GP providing abortion for every 7,404 of population, while Monaghan has the highest, with one per 64,832 people.

Giving evidence to the Oireachtas Health Committee on the matter, O’Shea stated that she found comments made by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD and Tánaiste Micheál Martin TD, that echoed Donnelly’s sentiments regarding the 2018 vote, to be “disconcerting” and “disappointing”. “I think it is reasonable to say that among the 66.4 per cent of those who voted in favour of repeal of the Eighth Amendment were people who would have been influenced by the scope of the proposed regulations.”

‘Yes’ supporters at Dublin Castle after the result of the Eighth Amendment referendum was announced.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Katenolan1979

Better public services

Launched in May 2023, Better Public Services, the Public Service Transformation 2030 Strategy, sets an overarching vision for “inclusive, high quality and integrated public service provision that meets the needs, and improves the lives, of the people of Ireland”.

The goal of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDPDR) is to serve the public interest through sound governance of public expenditure

and by leading and enabling reform across the Civil and Public Service, explains Cassidy. Key to this is setting the vision for transformation for the next stage of public service reform, including the provision of tools, enablers, and supports for the sector.

Setting the context for transformation, Cassidy says: “It is clear that many of the major challenges we face such as climate change, homelessness, or health provision are cross-

Following the publication of Better Public Services, DPENDPDR Assistant Secretary General Marianne Cassidy outlines progress on transformation of public services for better service delivery.

10 Design Principles for Government in Ireland. Source: Designing our Public Services. DPENDPDR.

cutting and/or horizontal in nature. However, the way we organise as a public service to deliver in terms of the processes and structures we use tend to be quite vertical. Better Public Services is the framework to nurture and harness the transformation effort of the public service to work collaboratively to deliver tangible outcomes for the public, and to build trust in public institutions,” she explains.

The strategy aligns with Civil Service Renewal 2030 and Connecting Government 2030, and represents, for the first time, a coherent framework for transformation for the public service.

Cassidy says that the framework builds on the efforts and achievements of previous reform programmes, many of which focused on building internal capacity including for example digital infrastructure, the development of shared services, and procurement reform.

“Responding to the Covid-19 crisis underlined the agility, innovation, and commitment of the public service to adapt to meet the needs of customers and citizens. The next phase of transformation gives an opportunity to build on the progress to date and the momentum in accelerating reform during the public service response to the pandemic and position the public service to meet current and future challenges.”

The Public Service Transformation Framework, which is at the core of the strategy, comprises three central themes:

1. Digital and innovation at scale

1 digital and innovation at scale;

2 workforce and organisation of the future; and

3 evidence-informed policies and services designed for and with our public.

Cassidy explains that the framework is presented at two levels and provides the strategic direction of reform in the public service to 2030. On one level, the public service will collaborate on cross-cutting issues and the Public Service Leadership Board (PSLB) will play a key role on shared priorities. However, on a second level, individual public service bodies are central to achieving the ambition of the strategy and are asked to identify and prioritise actions that are contained in the framework.

“Public service bodies are also asked to have regard to the framework in their corporate strategies, align the delivery of their reform priorities in their business plans, and report on them in their annual reports,” the Assistant Secretary adds.

Cassidy says that the first pillar of the framework is aimed towards tackling big societal issues by re-engineering policies and service delivery to create a seamless user experience. “It is also about seizing the opportunity of digital to give us more integrated and inclusive frontline delivery, with a strong digital inclusion element and building on the progress already made on implementing Making Innovation Real, the Public Service Innovation Strategy”.

“Better Public Services is the framework to nurture and harness the transformation effort of our 372,000 public servants...”

Marianne Cassidy, Assistant Secretary General, DPENDPDR

2. Workforce and organisation of the future

The second pillar of the framework, which relates to the workforce and organisation of the future, is a recognition that transformation will be impossible without the right people. “It is about having the right people, at the right time, and in the right place,” explains Cassidy. “As a public service we must ensure that we are reflective of the people we serve and to maximise the benefits of diversity within our public service. There is also a focus on our upskilling and reskilling of staff, while developing a new pipeline of talent and widening the recruitment pool for careers in the public service.”

3. Evidence-informed policy and services designed for and with our public

The third pillar, explains Cassidy, is about evidence-informed policy and services designed for and with our public. “It is about the delivery of effective human-centred policies and services, designed with evidence and insights from the public, and from our data and research.

“It is also about using the potential of data across our public and civil service by embedding the national data infrastructure and sharing information safely to improve the services we deliver to the public. Importantly, we are asking public bodies to embed systems and design thinking by putting service users first.”

Flagship projects

The strategy is focused on high-level outcomes which will help the public service to continuously improve the delivery of its services to the public. Cassidy outlines that the Department and the PSLB have recognised a requirement to drive some initiatives from the centre and have adopted a number of flagship projects.

Under digital and innovation at scale, the Assistant Secretary points to work by the Department and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) with various departments to re-engineer digital services around people’s life events. An iterative process to service design, involving users from the beginning of the process to identify and understand their needs, and challenges in the context of using that service, will be trialled.

Under the workforce and organisation of the future pillar, DPENDPDR are working with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to create a

The Public Service in numbers

pipeline of talent around critical skills by scaling the ICT apprenticeship model implemented in the civil service into a broader public service apprenticeship approach. A second project is the creation of a centre of excellence for learning and development, serving the wider civil and public service from within the Institute of Public Administration (IPA).

“This is about creating the collective capacity to have the skills required, by scaling learning from one project to the wider public sector and benefitting from the capability the IPA has developed,” says Cassidy.

A further flagship project is the development of a progressive HR policy, which will seek to remove barriers to the civil and public service, attract new people, and capitalise on the diversity of the country.

Cassidy says: “We are also working with colleagues from the Department of the Taoiseach, and the OECD to look at further building policy development capability with support from the European Commission’s Technical Support Programme”.

Service design

The Assistant Secretary describes a new approach to service design across the public sector as a “lynchpin” of transformation.

“It is about understanding the problems and working collaboratively with users to come up with a solution that meets their needs in terms of designing the right things and designing things right”.

In 2022, a prototype set of design principles for government were launched to encourage the public service to “embrace a new way of working, to incorporate powerful tools and techniques, and to deliver human-centric solutions to complex social issues”.

“The use of design principles provide the opportunity to trial a new approach to developing services by placing users at the centre of design of those services”.

Cassidy explains that the next step is for the development of an action plan to embed the use of the principles in the public service and to put a team in place to support implementation.

“Lessons in implementation can then inform the policy development process and better service delivery. Using systems thinking and operations management can help to put service users first in all decisions and actions where applicable. This will also support continuous improvement by identifying and removing all forms of waste from every process,” she concludes.

Better Public Services. All figures are rounded and relate to a full year where applicable. Most recently available figures are used.

Public Procurement Conference 2023

Wednesday 14 June 2023 • Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport

The State spends approximately €18.5 billion every year on goods, services, and works. Of this spending, 92 per cent remains in Ireland and 50 per cent is spent with SMEs. Across the EU, public procurement represents a significant proportion of total procurement. The 2023 Public Procurement Conference will once again bring together key stakeholders from across the procurement sector to discuss the latest developments and their implications for your procurement strategy.

Paul Quinn Chief Procurement Officer Office of Government Procurement

Ireland

Edward Green

Deputy Director for Commercial Policy: International and Reform Cabinet Office UK

Ursula Tebbet-Duffin

Senior Policy Advisor –International Agreements, International and Reform Team, Commercial Policy Cabinet Office UK

John Swords National Director of

Health Service Executive

Orla

Sponsored by

An eolas event

Transport report

Sponsored by

There is not a person in this country that does not rely on some aspect of our transport ecosystem to get around their own locality and then further afield. We want to support mobility around Ireland, and access to our island nation, in a way that is sustainable and in line with our carbon reduction goals.

That is why the Government has prioritised transport like no other for

boldly moving forward

decades. We have committed to providing €35 billion in capital investment up to 2030 to support the systemic change we need to ensure that we can deliver an accessible, efficient, safe, and sustainable transport system that works for everyone; not just in cities in towns, but in rural villages and townlands.

Too often, our starting point with transport in Ireland is negative. We rush

In our Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23), we have set a target to halve our emissions from transport by 2030. Of all the high impact sectors within CAP23, I often say that transport is going to be one of the most challenging to address, writes Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan TD:

‘Transforming how we get around’

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD at the launch of Ireland’s first all-electric town bus service in Athlone, County Westmeath.

Credit: Naoise Culhane, Bus Éireann

boldly moving forward

to talk about all the things we do not have. A recent Greenpeace report focused narrowly on the availability of long-term (yearly) travel passes. Ireland does not have one and so based on this extremely narrow interpretation of our public transport system, we were automatically decried as “the worst in Europe”.

The truth is we are not. The truth is we are making enormous and meaningful changes in our transport system every week. The truth is that Ireland is bucking the European trend because we are one of the only countries to see a significant rebound in public transport passenger numbers since Covid. In fact, in Ireland, ours is not just a rebound, but an encouraging increase in the numbers now choosing to take the bus, the train, or active travel. The truth is that our 90-minute TFI fare makes us as competitive as cities like Berlin, Budapest, or Amsterdam.

Fare reductions

One of the most significant things we did to encourage people to use public transport was reduce fares for the first time in 75 years. In 2022, we reduced fares on publicly funded services by an average of 20 per cent as part of a suite of measures to help combat the cost of living. We also introduced the Young Adult Card (YAC) which entitles all young adults aged from 19 to 23 years and full-time third level students

between the ages of 16 and 23 to a massive 50 per cent reduction – with the additional 20 per cent off. This actually means that fares for young people are now 60 per cent cheaper for our younger travellers.

And people are availing of these fares in spades. Since the introduction of the YAC in 2022, nearly 300,000 cards have been issued. The seven-day rolling average for public transport passenger journeys across bus, Luas, DART, and rail was nearly 800,000 journeys a day, representing a 27 per cent increase when compared to 2022.

Rural transport

It is also happening on rural transport. In 2023, the weekly patronage for Local Link is nearly 52,000 – a staggering 82 per cent increase when compared to the same period in 2022. Connecting Ireland services – that is local bus services between towns – is also continuing to see an increase in the numbers travelling – up 112 per cent at the end of 2022 compared to 2019. Improving rural transport is a particular priority for the Department of Transport. In 2022, Connecting Ireland delivered 38 new and enhanced bus services. But in 2023, our budget and our ambition has doubled. In 2023, we will spend €8.5 million to deliver 67 new or enhanced services. This means that over two years, we will be delivering one new or enhanced bus service every single week.

“One of the most significant things we did to encourage people to use public transport was reduce fares for the first time in 75 years.”

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD

boldly moving forward

Cities

In our towns and cities, under the National Development Plan 2021-2030, our Bus Connects programmes will be substantially delivered in each of the State’s five cities by the end of the decade. In Dublin, the NTA expects that the Network Redesign, which is being rolled out over 11 phases, will be completed by early 2025. In Cork, the new network will provide an increase of over 50 per cent in bus services. The same will happen in Galway, linking the city buses to Bearna and Oranmore.

But transforming our transport system goes beyond public transport infrastructure. We are also investing heavily in active travel and in our greenways. In 2023, for example, we have invested an unprecedented €290 million in active travel and €63 million in greenways.

Pathfinder Programme

In October 2022, we launched our Pathfinder Programme – 35 exemplar public transport, walking, cycling and wheeling projects across the country which will be completed by 2025. The aim of the programme is to bring increased momentum to the delivery of projects at a local level with a strong emphasis on experimental and innovative approaches. The 35 projects encompass significant road-space reallocation projects favouring walking and cycling in our cities, large scale investments in public transport, or exemplar 15-minute towns in towns like Letterkenny or Killarney. Many of the most innovative projects are in rural areas like Leitrim where a project called ‘The First and Last Green Mile’ connects the Local Link services with local hackneys to make sure that people can be picked up and dropped ‘the last mile’ direct to their doors.

Electric vehicles

We are also seeing significant changes in electric vehicles. Over the past year, we have seen a major increase in the number of EVs on our roads with nearly 90,000 EVs or plug-in hybrid EVs registered. Over the next two and a half years, we will be investing €100 million in developing and then rolling out our EV charging infrastructure across Ireland, which commits to installing fast chargers every 60km on the motorway network, as well as installing home chargers, on-street and apartment chargers, and destination chargers in places like sports centres, shopping centres, or tourism locations.

Demand Management Strategy

There are so many other things going on to decarbonise and improve how we get around. A key piece of work is our Demand Management Strategy which aims to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and provide more safe and accessible spaces for public transport, walking and cycling. This will take a year to complete. In the meantime, we will be launching a public information campaign to tell people what is happening in their area and to raise awareness about the lower emission choices people can take to make their journey count for themselves and for the environment.

We have a lot of work to do to completely transform how we get around. But we are delivering. Steadily, strategically, every week, ensuring that we are meeting our emissions targets, and putting in place a public and active travel system that we can be proud of.

“We are meeting our emissions targets, and putting in place a public and active travel system that we can be proud of.”

boldly moving forward

All-Island Rail Review to ‘push ahead’ despite Stormont block Strategy

and Derry, along with other proposals to discard greenways planned through old rail lines in favour of the reintroduction of these rail lines. The disused Wexford-Waterford link at Rosslare, and the Athenry-Claremorris connection along the Western Rail Corridor are expected to be amongst the lines cited as being capable of returning to service.

The All-Island Rail Review was commissioned in June 2021 as the Government of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Executive sought to study the feasibility of the creation of a truly all-Ireland rail network as political jurisdictions around the world seek to invest in great public transport availability as a means of decarbonising transport. It was stated in February 2023 that the report commissioned would not be published until “it has received appropriate ministerial approval from both jurisdictions”, meaning that publication was considered impossible until the restoration of the Executive and Assembly in the North.

However, as was first reported by TheJournal.ie, the Department of Transport is now seeking to “push ahead” with the publication of the draft

review of the rail network in Ireland. The move to progress the publication of the report comes following pressure from multiple rail campaign groups, with nine from across the 32 counties (Circle Line Belfast, Into the West, Portadown-Armagh Railway Society, Cork Commuter Coalition, Dublin Commuter Coalition, North Tipperary Community Rail Partnership, Rail Users Ireland, South East on Track, and West on Track) having written to Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD, transport officials in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, and the leaders of all Assembly parties to stress the need for work to begin immediately.

It is expected that the draft review will feature proposals to build a new railway line connecting Letterkenny

Ministerial sign-off from both Ryan and his counterpart in the North would be required for the publication of the report, but with the absence of ministers in the North, the decisionmaking framework laid out in the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2022 may be used. This framework states that “the absence of Northern Ireland ministers does not prevent a senior officer of a Northern Ireland department from exercising a function of the department if the officer is satisfied that it is in the public interest to exercise the function”.

A draft copy of the report is expected to be published before the end of quarter two 2023 if a strategic environmental assessment is deemed necessary during screening. The final report is expected to be published in the second half of 2023.

Transport officials will move to bypass the political deadlock in the North as they look to publish the All-Island Rail Review, which has thus far proved impossible without a sitting Executive.

transport report

What will it take to support zerocarbon emission flights?

Jacobs transportation sustainability specialist Chris Pickard looks at how airports can prepare now if they are to be ready to fuel hydrogen-powered aircraft and become catalysts to support wider decarbonisation initiatives.

Airports worldwide continue to make significant progress in reducing their carbon emissions, but without decarbonising aircraft, overall reductions from the aviation sector will be limited. Meanwhile, the aerospace industry is working hard to decarbonise aircraft through the design and development of new methods of propulsion. While rapid progress continues in the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and battery-electric propulsion, hydrogen is being explored as a potential zero-carbon emission fuel.

Research into the use of hydrogen continues to gain pace, with projects such as the UK Aerospace Technology Institute’s (ATI) FlyZero programme demonstrating its feasibility. As such,

commercial aircraft powered by liquid hydrogen are anticipated to be in operation by the mid-2030s, with smaller gaseous hydrogen fuel cell aircraft potentially in operation within this decade.

To achieve rapid decarbonisation of aviation and net zero by 2050, multiple approaches will be needed. SAF, more efficient engine technology, operational processes improvement, and hydrogen all have a potential role to play. Of these, the infrastructure required for hydrogen aircraft is perhaps the biggest challenge, from the need to generate and supply vast quantities of green hydrogen, to the ability of airports worldwide to provide standardised equipment and processes needed to safely operate these aircraft.

A narrowbody hydrogen-powered aircraft concept developed by the ATI’s FlyZero project.

boldly moving forward

Studies such as FlyZero suggest that most commercial flights will require the use of liquid hydrogen, due to the low volumetric density of gaseous hydrogen. To be stored and used as a liquid, hydrogen needs to be cooled to -253°C, presenting unique challenges for an airport environment. Recognising the scale of the infrastructure challenge, FlyZero – working with Jacobs – investigated the feasibility of providing the required infrastructure at airports. The project identified three major pathways and the associated infrastructure for hydrogen supply and operation at an airport, depending on the airport’s size, location and demand for fuel.

The first pathway is likely to initially apply at all airports, with hydrogen generated off-site and transported to the airport by tanker. For many smaller airports, this may be all that is needed on an ongoing basis, operating in a similar way to their current supply of traditional fuel. However, for larger airports, as demand increases, the logistics of supplying hydrogen by road or rail may become infeasible with hundreds of tanker deliveries being required each day.

Therefore, the second pathway considered the supply of hydrogen through a gaseous hydrogen pipeline, requiring on-airport liquefaction and storage capability. While it may be possible for airports to generate hydrogen on-site, the high energy requirement for electrolysis of green hydrogen is likely to make this unattractive, especially for larger airports where demand for hydrogen is high. As a result, the supply of hydrogen through a gaseous pipeline may become the preferred solution for large hub airports. Despite the high on-airport energy requirement, the third supply pathway investigated the infrastructure required to provide electrolysis, liquefaction and storage at an airport. Although unlikely to be used for large airports with high demand, this remains a potential option for smaller airports, particularly where plentiful renewable energy is available.

In the future, multiple complementary technologies and fuels will likely be operated in parallel at most airports. However, without knowing if or when new aircraft will be introduced, airport owners face the

challenge of preparing for multiple and uncertain future scenarios. Airports may feel there is little they can do to plan for future fuels like hydrogen, with no choice but to act reactively as aircraft technology develops.

However, infrastructure and investment planning are needed today to enable the effective use of hydrogen in the future. Early planning and implementation of compatible infrastructure offers airports sustainability and resilience, positioning them to capture new carriers and route connections as airlines move towards the use of new technology.

Airports can begin preparing by considering early adoption for their own and other stakeholders’ use, such as by handling agents, transport providers, local industry, and freight distributors. With early adoption that stimulates an integrated hydrogen ecosystem, airports not only prepare for the eventual use of hydrogen as an aircraft fuel but also become catalysts to support wider decarbonisation initiatives. The certainty of demand that this ecosystem provides also allows longer-term investment in infrastructure, knowing that there will be a positive return on investment. Providing the infrastructure needed for hydrogen aircraft presents a challenge to industry, requiring deep collaboration and innovative thinking. Encouragingly, momentum continues to build with many new collaborative projects and initiatives underway, giving hope that the required infrastructure will be ready to support the introduction of the future generation of aircraft.

Jacobs’ full report is available to read on the Jacobs website.

W: www.jacobs.com

“Early planning and implementation of compatible infrastructure offers airports sustainability and resilience, positioning them to capture new carriers and route connections as airlines move towards the use of new technology.”

boldly moving forward

CAP23 outlines new transport measures

The first Climate Action Plan update to be published since the passage of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 identifies 17 high-impact measures and ongoing work-programmes. These include:

• improved land-use planning and spatial integration;

• enhancements across public transport;

• active travel and EV charging infrastructure; and

• developing strategies and communications campaigns aimed at driving behavioural change away from traditional fossil fuelled private car journeys to more sustainable mobility options.

CAP23 states that fleet electrification and use of biofuels will continue to provide the most significant share of emissions abatement in the medium term. “Vehicle targets, while unchanged, have been reframed as a percentage share of total fleet and new registrations, to better embed our vehicle strategy within our wider Sustainable Mobility Policy,” the report outlines.

has called for a new framework to inform transform policy and enable the sector to meet its emissions reductions targets.

Credit: William Murphy

boldly moving forward

Speaking upon the document’s publication in December 2022, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan TD said: “Over decades, we have built our country, our towns and cities, around the car and that is just not sustainable. Apart from achieving our climate objectives, the systemic changes mapped out in this new Climate Action Plan will enable a healthier, cleaner, more connected transport system for everyone.”

Carbon budget challenges

Given the increase in a targeted reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector in CAP23 to 50 per cent by 2030, the latest publication has revised the carbon budget for the period. The Sectoral Emission Ceilings are:

• Carbon budget 1: 54 MtCO2eq;

• Carbon budget 2: 37 MtCO2eq;

• Emissions abatement (on 2018): 50 per cent; and

• Emissions up to 2021: 10.9 MtCO2eq.

The constraints on travel in 2020 as a result of Covid-19 saw transport sector emissions levels falling to 10.3 MtCO2eq, relative to its 12.2 MtCO2eq emissions baseline. 2021 saw a 6.1 per cent increase in emissions over 2020 levels, largely driven by the cessation of public health restrictions that had artificially reduced transport demand.

20.2 per cent of the first sectoral carbon budget was expended in 2021. While this level is consistent with the sector being compliant with its carbon budget to 2025, a further increase in transport emissions is expected in 2022. “Though not yet at risk of a projected failure to comply with its sectoral emissions ceiling, the need to substantially accelerate transport emissions abatement is clear,” CAP23 states.

Avoid-Shift-Improve

A report by the OECD has stated that Ireland’s transport model “fosters growing car use and emissions by design”. In recognition of the OECD report’s findings, Minister Ryan has brought forward a new framework for the transport sector known as Avoid-

Shift-Improve. Minister Ryan broke down the framework:

Avoid: “Developing services, communities, and infrastructure in such a manner as to avoid the need to travel as much as we do today.”

Shift: “Improving the relative attractiveness of sustainable travel modes such as public transport, cycling, and walking, to shift away from car use; this will facilitate increased use of lower-carbon modes and reduce the percentage of total journeys that are made by private car (modal share) from over to 70 per cent (today) to just over 50 per cent in 2030.”

Improve: “Complement these measures by increasing the proportion of EVs in our car fleet to 30 per cent by 2030, which will improve the efficiency of the national car fleet. Electrification of the freight and public transport sector will also be key.”

Modelling recalibration

A recalibrated decarbonisation pathway has been developed using the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) Regional Modelling System. The process came up with potential measures which can enable the 50 per cent emissions reduction target, grouping measures in four broad packages:

Promoting behavioural change by incentivising more sustainable forms of travel: This could include roadspace reallocation and expanding carfree urban core centres; improvements to school transport options and modes;

and complementary measures that help to reduce the need to travel.

Improvements to public transport availability and competitiveness: This would increase availability of rural transport and inter-urban connections; ramping-up the frequency and reliability of public transport through priority infrastructure and better integration of services; and reducing public transport fares (the modelled scenario considered a 50 per cent reduction relative to 2018 prices).

Disincentivising private vehicle use: This may include removal of free workplace parking; minimum parking charges introduced in all urban areas and application of congestion charges for journeys across marked cordons. Consideration will also be given to implementing an increase in fuel costs (modelled as an increase of 65 per cent by 2030 relative to 2018 prices, incorporating already planned carbon tax increases) if other measures are not deemed successful.

Harnessing the potential of new technology: This would support the decarbonisation of transport, including through electrification, increased biofuel blending, vehicle technology improvements, and the use of open data for mobility services.

Minister Ryan said upon CAP23’s publication: “While we need to electrify our transport system, we can also improve our wellbeing by reducing the need to travel in the first place and switching to sustainable modes where possible.”

“Though not yet at risk of a projected failure to comply with its sectoral emissions ceiling, the need to substantially accelerate transport emissions abatement is clear.”

transport report

Climate Action Plan 2023

Delivering transport infrastructure across the country

constructed electricity substation within the Bus Éireann depot. Construction and installation work here was carried out by ESB Smart Energy Services.

This is just the beginning of the process and later this year and early in 2024, we can look forward to seeing passengers on battery-electric buses in both Dublin and Limerick. Already, the buses are being manufactured and the infrastructure is being installed. When operational, this will provide a better experience for customers and deliver cleaner air and lower emissions for communities everywhere.

As the state agency with primary responsibility for delivering on investment across the country, NTA is now making progress on delivering investment across the country through programmes like active travel, fleet electrification, BusConnects, DART+, MetroLink, and Connecting Ireland, writes Anne

Earlier this year the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD signed off on NTA’s Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2042. This strategy provides a framework for further investment in services and infrastructure, with the primary objective of substantially increasing the numbers of people using sustainable and active travel in the region.

It provides for investment in bus infrastructure, active travel, heavy rail, light rail and MetroLink and on that basis it will keep NTA, our delivery partners, our operators and our stakeholders busy for some years to come. While it can sometimes appear that progress in delivering these projects is very slow, we are now beginning to see some of them

Graham, NTA Chief Executive.

starting to come to fruition, not just in Dublin, but around the country.

Earlier this year for example, Bus Éireann’s town services in Athlone became fully electric when 11 new stateof-the-art electric buses entered service. The new fleet will reduce CO2 emissions by 400,000kg annually and will deliver a quieter, cleaner bus service for the town and passengers. Over 540,000 kilometres are operated on the Athlone town bus service each year, with over 10,000 passengers now using the service weekly – a 20 per cent increase on 2019 figures.

The new buses are being charged using newly installed charging infrastructure supplied with power from the newly

There has been progress too on the procurement of fleet for DART+. Some 185 new carriages have been ordered to date, with delivery commencing in 2024 and entering service from 2025. A total of up to 750 carriages are to be ordered over the next decade under a framework contract with leading manufacturer Alstom.

A prototype was unveiled recently in Irish Rail’s facility in Inchicore, and we believe that these new carriages will be transformative, offering potential for independent access for all passengers, improved facilities for families and cyclists across the Dublin Metropolitan Area.

A planning application was submitted last September for MetroLink and consideration of the project is in the hands of An Bord Pleanála. This followed on from the publication by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and NTA of our preferred route.

The start of construction will be determined by the timing and outcome of the statutory planning process. The construction, systems’ installation, testing, and commissioning of a metro system like this is likely to take eight to nine years. In the meantime, a procurement process for the client partner contract is already under way.

Anne Graham, NTA Chief Executive Officer.

We are also working on plans to extend Luas lines and later this year, a railway order application is to be lodged by Transport Infrastructure Ireland for the extension of the Green Line to Finglas. This is a clear example of the kind of progress we are making in our plans to invest in ambitious and exciting sustainable transport solutions. I believe that Luas has the potential to be transformative for this part of the city and that it will further enhance the area for all members of the community.

We have already touched on DART+ fleet, but progress is also being made on the infrastructure aspects of the programme too. Last year a railway order application was submitted by Iarnród

Éireann to An Bord Pleanála for DART+ West, followed by one for DART+ South West in March of this year. Public consultation on both DART+ Coastal North and DART+ Coastal South is well under way.

For BusConnects in Dublin, we have already implemented four of the 11 phases of the redesigned network, with more to come this year and next. The public response to the new network has been very positive and we have seen a corresponding surge in passenger numbers.

On the infrastructure side, planning applications for nine of the 12 Core Bus Corridor schemes have been submitted, with the remaining three to be submitted

“This year, substantial investment will fund approximately 1,200 active travel projects, contributing to the development of almost 1,000km of new and improved walking and cycling infrastructure across the country by 2025.”

in the coming weeks, and as soon as they clear that process, we will look to getting construction under way on a phased basis as soon as possible.

Our investment programme in active travel has expanded significantly in recent years. This year, substantial investment will fund approximately 1,200 active travel projects, contributing to the development of almost 1,000km of new and improved walking and cycling infrastructure across the country by 2025. This includes the development of segregated cycle lanes and widened footpaths, new walking and cycling bridges, and new pedestrian crossings.

In total, the 2023 fund allocation for active travel will allow for the progression of 387 projects in the Greater Dublin Area, 250 across other regional cities and a further 502 projects across rural Ireland.

NTA is also closely involved in improving the provision of sustainable transport in our regional cities. In 2021, we published the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy and implementation of that is already getting under way.

The design for an emerging preferred route for the city’s proposed Luas service for example, is almost complete and will go out for public consultation in the very near future.

In addition, as part of BusConnects Cork, we have published a design for the new bus network and have gone out for two rounds of public consultation on the sustainable transport corridors.

Work has commenced on improvements to commuter rail on the Cobh/Midleton line and Mallow station has been included in the commuter fares zone. A railway order application has been made for the double tracking between Glounthaune and Midleton. Plans are well

underway for the provision of a through-platform at Kent rail station.

A proposed new BusConnects network has been published for Galway offering substantial service improvements for the city and suburbs. On the infrastructure side, the new Salmon Weir sustainable transport bridge opened recently. The development of this world-class shared-use pedestrian and cycle bridge will bring a number of significant benefits to Galway city. These include the removal of current conflicts on the existing 200-year-old bridge; the facilitation of the development of a cross-city public transport corridor over the existing bridge; and the enhancement of links between both sides of the river, by supporting sustainable and active modes of transport.

In addition, a 4km Dublin Road sustainable transport corridor has moved to design stage and a planning application has been lodged for the crucial Cross City Link facilitating bus movements through the city centre.

In Limerick, public consultation on a new proposed BusConnects network of services has concluded. This plan provides for an increase of 70 per cent in service levels, with implementation due to get under way in 2025. Meanwhile, work has commenced on improvements to commuter rail to the city, with a new station for Moyross being planned.

A new BusConnects network is being designed for Waterford, to go to public consultation this year. Work has commenced on the design of a new sustainable transport bridge in the city, with the train station to be relocated as part of the plan.

NTA operates within an overall national policy framework which ensures that all of our plans, projects and proposals are aligned to the likes of the National Development Plan, National

“Due to the success of the services already in operation, well over 250,000 people now have access to new and enhanced bus services in their locality, with an increase in patronage well in excess of 93 per cent on routes which have already been enhanced.”

Planning Framework, Climate Action Plan, Rural Development Policy, and National Sustainable Mobility Policy. An example of how well that can work is our Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan.

Connecting Ireland is the NTA’s plan to transform rural and interurban mobility by improving bus and rail services across the country over a five-year period up to the end of 2025.

In 2022, we launched Phase 1 of the plan, introducing a wide range of new routes and improvements to public transport users throughout the State. It is one of the most ambitious plans yet for rural transport nationwide.

During 2022, we delivered 38 new and enhanced bus services throughout Ireland, with significant plans for additional bus services in many rural areas this year and in future years.

Due to the success of the services already in operation, well over 250,000 people now have access to new and enhanced bus services in their locality, with an increase in patronage well in excess of 93 per cent on routes which have already been enhanced.

The Connecting Ireland plan has had a transformative impact on rural communities by improving access to high frequency public transport bus services and connecting villages and towns to regional Transport for Ireland (TFI) bus and rail services.

Under the Connecting Ireland Plan, 67 new or enhanced bus services are proposed in 2023, strengthening existing services and connecting more towns and townlands. This is the second of five phases of the rural mobility plan.

Last year almost €4 million was invested in implementing Connecting Ireland bus services, but this year that figure will double to €8.5 million provided by the Department of Transport.

The response by customers to new services in rural Ireland has been very strong, with passenger numbers on buses returning to and surpassing preCovid levels. On TFI Local Link services in rural Ireland the annual passenger journey figure for 2019 was 2.5 million. Covid had a serious impact on passenger numbers in 2020 and 2021, but in 2022, they rose to 2.8 million, a recovery of 112 per cent. Those figures increased further in 2023 with over 45,000 passengers travelling on Local Link services every week around the country.

The addition of new and enhanced services nationwide has directly improved access to amenities such as tourist attractions, regional hubs, medical, economic, social, and education opportunities.

Implementation continues at a pace with new and enhanced routes being announced almost on a weekly basis. This ambitious plan will continue to be

rolled out up to 2026 which aims to transform sustainable modes of public transport in rural areas across Ireland. The coming years can be a time of immense optimism for Ireland. As regions develop, as towns grow, and as more and more people look to avail of new employment, education, and social opportunities, connectivity will be of crucial importance.

A transport system that facilitates and stimulates that progress will be the engine that powers growth and development.

That will require the continued delivery of much-needed investment in sustainable transport in communities in every part of the country. That will not be straightforward, and it may be challenging but I believe that NTA is up to that challenge.

T: +353 1 879 8300

E: info@nationaltransport.ie

W: www.nationaltransport.ie

Road haulage in the coming decade

The Government published the Road Haulage Strategy

2022-2031 in December 2022, setting out the plan for how the hard-to-abate subsector will play its part in reducing transport emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.

The publication of the strategy fulfils a Programme for Government pledge to produce the State’s first-ever government strategy solely dedicated to the haulage and road freight sector. The strategy is focused on “generating efficiencies, improving standards, securing jobs and helping the road freight sector move to a low-carbon future” and is organised around seven themes:

1. Brexit, Covid-19, and crisis management;

2. sustainability and decarbonisation;

3. road infrastructure and usage charging;

4. integrated transport planning and intermodal transport;

5. road safety and enforcement;

6. the EU Mobility Package and road transport operator licensing; and

7. labour market and skills.

With 99 per cent of the heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) on Irish roads currently diesel fuelled, road haulage is among the most hard-to-abate sectors in terms of decarbonisation, especially when it is factored in that the International Transport Forum forecasts that global freight transport demand across all modes will more than double over the next three decades. The Road Haulage Strategy thus attempts to tackle somewhat conflicting challenges: that of a subsector that must grow in terms of production but contract in terms of emissions.

In the broader context, transport emissions in 2021 – the most recent on record – were 24.5 per cent below the 2007 peak, primarily due to Covid19 restrictions and improved fuel efficiency. Private cars made up the bulk of transport sector emissions in 2020 – the most recent year for which modal shares are available – with 54 per cent. HGVs accounted for 20 per cent of transport emissions, with light goods vehicles accounting for 18 per cent.

boldly moving forward

As the strategy notes, the next phase of the Climate Action Plan will “see the overall burden of emissions reduction falling to a greater extent on private cares in the medium term to 2030”. Targets to introduce 3,500 lowemission HGVs on Irish roads and 30 per cent of new sales in medium-duty vehicles and HGVs to be zero-emission by 2030 are regarded as “ambitious –but achievable”.

It is also noted that it will “take time” for battery electric vehicles and other alternatively fuelled vehicles to become widely available across Europe, with it also said that Ireland’s geographic location and the requirement for righthand drive vehicles “may lead to slower delivery” in Ireland.

Biofuel blending

The mixing of renewable fuels into liquid fossil fuels, is thus cited as having a key role to play as a transitional measure that will “help to reduce emissions in existing fleets for both passenger transport and road freight”. The decarbonisation section of the strategy includes short-term actions such as:

• the maintenance and expansion of the Alternatively Fuelled Heavy Duty Vehicle Grant Scheme, a grant supplied by the Department of Transport through Transport Infrastructure Ireland that is calculated as a percentage of the difference in price between the new alternatively fuelled HGV and its diesel equivalent;

• the updating of the national policy framework on alternative fuels in transport;

• supporting Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland to “enable the provision of charging infrastructure for HGVs”;

• the establishment of an accreditation system for eco-driving courses; and

• the completion of a feasibility study examining freight consolidation centres.

The strategy sets out a roadmap for decarbonisation in the haulage sector, as governed by Climate Action Plan 2023 targets, which includes alreadyenacted measures such as the National EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy and the Biofuels Obligation Scheme and its

Haulage and road freight in Ireland by numbers

41,850 HGVs taxed in Ireland, at end July 2022

22,796 licensed haulage HGVs

61% of HGVs in July 2022 were 10 years old or younger

100,900 people employed in transport and storage in Ireland as of Q2 2022

20% of the transport and storage workforce is female

2% of HGV drivers are female

99% of HGVs are diesel

12.5 billion tonne-km travelled by HGVs in 2021

17.7% of Ireland’s greenhouse gases come from transport

20% of transport’s emissions come from HGVs

20 per cent by 2030 target. Also included are forthcoming measures such as the national hydrogen strategy, which will “consider the potential demand for hydrogen across the transport sector in Ireland and examine how hydrogen could complement electricity as a zero-carbon transport fuel for heavy-duty vehicles”.

Skills gap

After the considerable decarbonisation demands on the subsector, perhaps the most notable challenge faced by those involved in haulage is the critical skills gap that has been identified in the areas of freight transport, distribution, and logistics. Particularly, shortages of HGV drivers have been emphasised. Respondents to the public consultation period of the report cited current working conditions of HGV drivers as a barrier to overcoming the shortage. The report notes that an EU directive on minimum wages and collective bargaining was adopted by the European Council in October 2022, which should strengthen the collective bargaining position of workers, and that a report by the Labour Employer Economic Forum in Ireland reviewing bargaining and industrial relations is currently under consideration by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The Logistics and Supply Chain Skills Group published recommendations in 2021 on how to tackle the shortage, with the recommendations aimed at improving the supply issue without undermining the working conditions of the drivers and other road users. New apprenticeships and traineeships have also been started to address the skills gap, such as the Logistics Associate Apprenticeship at Technological University Dublin, the Operations and Commercial Driving Apprenticeship at Atlantic Technological University, and the Logistics and Distribution Traineeship.

Short-term actions included within the strategy to address the shortage also include the conclusion of consideration over license exchange agreements with North Macedonia and Argentina, as well as the commencement of potential new agreements with other states, and the establishment of research workstreams on the attractiveness of the industry.

Actions to be undertaken under the strategy’s aegis in the other thematic areas also include a commitment to a public consultation on the introduction of fixed charge penalties for certain road transport offences by professional drivers, a review of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence with a view to reform of the qualification, and the implementation of EU legislation mandated through the EU Mobility Package.

Indra: Placing citizens at the centre of mobility

Berta Barrero, Senior Vice President of Mobility at Indra, speaks to eolas Magazine about the company’s role in transforming the mobility in cities and its plans in Ireland, including its toll interoperability management platform on Irish motorways and the project for the development of a rail traffic management system in the country's new train control centre.

Could you explain what Indra is, what it does, and its role in the world of mobility?

Indra is a world-leading technology and consulting group. As a global group, we are responsible for about 57,000 jobs around the world, with business operations in over 140 countries. As a technology company, we are mainly focused on defence, air traffic management systems, and mobility air

sectors. When we talk about mobility, we are mainly focused on critical systems for all stakeholders in the mobility sector, such as traffic, infrastructure, metro, railways, buses, ports, and airports.

Our main capabilities are in AFC systems and critical intelligent transport systems (ITS), traffic management systems for railways and infrastructure. We have about 2,500 employees in this department around the world. These experts in engineering and technology

for infrastructures and transport, together with our leadership in the largest technological renewal programmes and in the main European Innovation Programmes, allow us to present a different proposal of solutions and products, as well as to lead unique and highly technologically challenging projects that will transform the future of mobility and transport on a global scale in the coming years.

Spain for us is roughly one-third of our revenue, but we have over 2,500 projects across more than 100 cities and over 50 countries, which places us in a privileged position to enter partnerships, synergies, and co-creation scenarios with the other sector stakeholders, helping to overcome the challenges facing passenger and freight mobility in our century.

What are the main challenges facing the development of sustainable cities and territories?

We are all aware that the population of the world will continue to grow in and around cities and all countries will now have to move in the direction of sustainable mobility, which will be achieved mainly through public transport. The main challenges that we

have to face in this sphere is how the opportunities afforded by technology will allow us to integrate the different modes of transport. The resources in cities –roads, trams, railways – are limited and all the public services must be managed with efficiency and sustainability and the only opportunity to do that is to combine and integrate all means of public transport.

Public transport takes up 50 times less space and emits 70 per cent less CO2 than private vehicles. However, over 75 per cent of urban journeys are made in private, single passenger vehicles. These figures show that it is necessary to encourage and promote the development of zero-emission, multimodal and connected public transport. Additionally, there is a need to manage road traffic flows intelligently, efficiently, and safely. This should be done by placing citizens at the centre of the proposal for mobility services.

Given this reality, we could say that the current challenges for mobility are to accelerate digitalisation of transport infrastructures and services; to promote V2V (vehicle to vehicle) and V2I (vehicle to infrastructure) connectivity;

and to move towards integrated and integrating governance of all mobility services in cities and territories, whatever the authorities, competent public administrations and existing operators’ realities may be.

Indra delivers technological solutions for safe, secure, and efficient traffic management on roads and in cities. We also deliver integrated public transport ticketing systems to guarantee the highest levels of service in terms of availability, accessibility, and reliability. This system gathers intelligence from the roads and from all operators in mobility to integrate all data. In the past, if you were an operator of highways, you would only work on highways, and it was the same for railway or bus operators. Indra technology works towards greater use of public transport, encourages car sharing and facilitates true intermodality for a more sustainable modal split, reducing traffic congestion and polluting emissions. Our solutions manage the daily mobility of 78 million people, preventing over 10 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, thus safeguarding nearly 3,000 lives and saving more than €6 billion for society.

What role can Indra play in transforming the mobility of cities and territories?

We work in more than 100 cities. At the moment, we are doing the most important ticketing project in Spain, the T-mobilitat in Catalonia, which is working to integrate 73 traffic operators to create more secure and efficient ticketing. We work with AI, blockchain, and automations of data, all to help the operator to manage the system and to allow quicker access for users, as well as more security and protection for them. This system gives citizens a more accessible and easier way to plan transport.

Indra and its technology have been key to making Spain a clear global benchmark in the development of transport infrastructures and systems with the highest standards of quality and safety.

Internationally, some of our most recent projects include: the HOV solution, which is high occupancy vehicle detection using AI, deployed on the

“The current challenges for mobility are to accelerate digitalisation of transport infrastructures and services; to promote V2V and V2I connectivity; and to move towards integrated and integrating governance of all mobility services in cities and territories, whatever the authorities, competent public administrations and existing operators’ realities may be.”

operator Transurban’s highways in the United States; our ITS, free-flow tolling and connected vehicle solutions, also implemented in the USA, based on AI, cloud, machine learning and new radar technology (LIDAR); the intelligent BRT systems for Metro Brisbane in Australia; and in Ireland, the cloud-based platform for the interoperability of all toll roads.

We are currently developing two other highly innovative projects in Spain: the cloud integration of all the traffic control centres of Spain's Directorate General of Traffic and the development of a mobility as a service (Maas) platform, which pioneeringly integrates all modes and means of mobility in six cities into a single ticketing system, with the latest technologies and payment systems (EMV, NFC), travel planning, traveller information in account based models, and management of low emission zones.

How relevant is research, development, and innovation (RD&I) for Indra? How is it participating in major European programmes? SESAR and ERJU (formerly S2R)?

When your main purpose is to be in the highest leagues of technology, investment in R&D is absolutely key because the technology is moving very fast at the moment, giving us lots of opportunities to improve our solutions. Indra is among the European leaders in innovation according to the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard, with €312 million allocated to RD&I in 2022 and €3.76 billion so far this century.

In that sense, we are participating in ERJU, the European programme for the digitalisation of railways. In this project, we are leaders, along

with other companies, and are working on driverless solutions, and digitalisation in public transport to deliver smoother transport for users that is more accessible from different types of technology.

We are also working on SESAR, which is the equivalent of ERJU for the air traffic sector. Regarding the needs of mobility, these are more or less the same in terms of the technology. You can implement them on airports or ports; while the functionalities might be different, the access control in an airport uses biometric recognition, which is the same for a train station.

It is very important for us to participate in these programmes because they give us a global perspective on mobility. This work has allowed us to achieve a profound technological sophistication of our proposal and the sustainable and profitable evolution of our business, which has been rewarded with the highest levels of trust from our customers, as shown in our quality surveys this year. It also helps us to attract the best talent who want to work with the latest technology.

What is Indra’s strategy for Ireland?

Ireland is central for Indra. In the past, as a Spanish company, we have been more focused on Spain and Latin America, and we did not have a clear strategy for Anglosphere countries. Six years ago, our strategy changed, and we began to implement investment in new products and solutions. We think that there are now clear opportunities to have the chance to influence mobility in Ireland. We think that Ireland is a quite open country in terms of receiving new ideas.

In the last three years, we have been awarded very important and strategic projects in some of

“The three main solutions that we are implementing in Ireland so far are rail traffic management, tolling systems, and ITS systems for motorways, and these, together with the new projects that we hope to be awarded in the near future give us the confidence to deliver and increase our local capabilities.”

the most important technological areas in mobility. We have just implemented and put into operation the thirdgeneration toll interoperability management platform (IMP) for Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). The new platform, built on an advanced clearing house system in Microsoft's Azure cloud, simplifies electronic toll collection on the more than 900 kilometres of the country's 12 toll roads, making it easier for toll service providers and toll collectors to exchange transaction and payment data. This allows users to use all motorways in the country with a single account.

Previously, our back-office technology had already been installed on six motorways, representing around 45 per cent of the State’s roads, including the M1, linking Dublin to Belfast.

Another major project we are currently working on in Ireland concerns the development of the new rail traffic management system for the country's new train control centre, which has been entrusted to us by Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail. This project is very important for us and gives us the opportunity to properly establish ourselves in Ireland.

The three main solutions that we are implementing in Ireland so far are rail traffic management, tolling systems, and ITS systems for motorways, and these, together with the new projects that we hope to be awarded in the near future give us the confidence to deliver and

increase our local capabilities. We need projects to do that, and because of that we are very focused on future opportunities in Ireland.

How can Indra contribute to developing sustainable mobility in Ireland?

One of the main challenges in sustainable mobility is finding the right balance of integration between all modes of transport and all operators. You need to integrate all operators into one system that can allow them to manage in the most cost-efficient manner. To reduce emissions and define policies for public transport, you need to know how mobility is happening in a given region and this is how you do that.

Over the last 20 years, Indra has accumulated a track record of major mobility technology implementation projects around the world. Projects such as the implementation of control, communications and sales and reservation systems on the high-speed train linking Medina and Mecca in Saudi Arabia; the T-mobilitat project, which involves the implementation of a unified ticketing system for a region of 7.5 million residents; the AVL system for bus management in the city of Brisbane; and also in Saudi Arabia, the unified ticketing system in the city of Riyadh, the biggest ticketing project so far with more than six million residents. The management

of these projects is very different, from deployments in megacities like Riyadh with a greenfield implementation over a brand-new infrastructure to the brownfield site of the T-mobilitat with more than 75 operators where we have had to migrate a live system without interfering with commercial operation. We understand the risks and opportunities in both cases and work together with our customers assuring a successful deployment.

The company's desire to be a technological systems integrator of large systems has led us to take on not only the technical implementation of projects, but also important operational tasks during their life cycle.

At Indra, we can bring to Ireland our international experience in managing complex programmes and our state-ofthe-art technology in the mobility sector. Indra's most valuable asset for the country, however, is that it brings this experience from its geographical and cultural proximity, together with a technological capacity that is highly competitive in relation to other western European countries. E: gmadden@indracompany.com W: www.indracompany.com

Cycling capitals: World leaders

Paris

Paris gained international attention for its ambitious approach to cycling in 2021 following the unveiling of its Plan Velo 2021-2026, which aims to make the city 100 per cent cyclable by 2026. Central to this plan is additional funding, with an increased budget of €250 million for the plan, and capitalisation on the Covidrelated cycling increases, with 50km of coronapistes (temporary pandemic infrastructure) converted into permanent features of the city’s cycling network.

The 50km of converted coronapistes will account for almost one-third of a planned 180km segregated twoway cycle lane infrastructure due to be constructed under the plan. This network, called the Vélopolitan network, will integrate the RER-Vélo network of the greater Île-de-France region with the network of Greater Paris and specifically calls for “no more dotted tracks,

impassable bridges and crossroads where cyclists are sent back into general traffic”. The city will also triple its amount of secure bike parking spaces in an effort to combat bike theft, adding up to 100,000 new spaces, including 1,000 dedicated cargo bike spaces.

Paris is estimated to currently have 700km worth of cycle paths and routes, with 299km of this having been added since current mayor Anne Hidalgo took up the position in 2014, accounting for an increase of 35 per cent. €150 million was invested over the course of Hidalgo’s first cycling plan, with a further €250 million to be invested to ensure that the city is 100 per cent cyclable by the time she leaves office in 2026. It has been estimated that the increases in cycling infrastructure have led to over one million cyclists taking to the streets of Paris every day, an amount that represents almost 10 per cent of the urban area population.

With €290 million to be invested in active travel infrastructure in 2023, cycling in Ireland is set to undergo a major facelift. eolas Magazine surveys some of Europe’s most notable metropoles from a cycling point of view to gauge how they have gained such a status.

boldly moving forward

London

London’s cycling infrastructure journey began in earnest with the 2012 publication of the Vision for Cycling in London, in which then-mayor Boris Johnson pledged the delivery of a “proper network of cycling routes throughout the city”.

Johnson’s successor as mayor, Sadiq Khan, announced his intention to “make London a byword for cycling around the world” and the 2018 cycling action plan produced by Transport for London has been the pursuing plan contains aims such as the construction of more than 450km of new cycleway routes by 2024 and the expansion of London’s cycle network to the point that it reaches one-third of Londoners by 2025.

Transport for London’s Travel in London report shows success in the attempts to increase the number of cyclists in the city, with there having been an estimated 300,000 trips taken by bicycle daily in 2000, a figure which rose to 600,000 in 2012 and 900,000 in 2021. In a broader context, the report shows that all modes of transport increased between 2000 and 2019, the last

year before the pandemic, but that cycling saw the biggest percentage increase among modes of transport. However, cycling began the period at a much lower starting point than rail and buses, the modes with the second and third largest percentage increases.

Growth has slowed in cycling increases since 2015, the same year that London’s segregated cycling superhighways were opened. Transport for London’s data shows that cyclists in the city are most likely to be white men aged 25 to 44 with a higher-than-average income resident in inner London, meaning that cycling in London, and its infrastructure, is struggling to reach the wider population in terms of gender, class, race, and location. Nonetheless, Travel in London reports that a step change has occurred again since the pandemic, with it “clear from the 2022 counts undertaken in spring following the removal of most pandemic restrictions… that the pandemic was associated with a net step increase in cycling”.

boldly moving forward

Amsterdam is explicitly pursuing the goal of becoming a car-free city, with measures such as one-way systems, roadway narrowing, and barriers utilised in order to cut off car access to central streets that would otherwise be used as through-routes.

Amsterdam contains a total of 767km of cycling lanes and paths across the city, with an average of two million km travelled daily by residents on bikes. The city’s drive to promote active travel is also enabled by the fact that its bike network is 100 per cent integrated into its public transit system, with bike parking garages situated next to train stations. These garages are free for the first 24 hours and €1.25 per day thereafter.

Amsterdam

Bicycles outnumber humans in Amsterdam, a city commonly dubbed the ‘bicycle capital of the world’. More than 60 per cent of trips in the Amsterdam city centre happen on bicycles according the Urban Cycling Institute at the University of Amsterdam. This has been achieved in part through a transport infrastructure approach that is notoriously bike-friendly and car-unfriendly; only 19 per cent of Amsterdam residents use cars every day.

Copenhagen

Each Dane cycles, on average, 1.4km per day, with the citizens of Denmark combining to cycle a total of eight million km daily. Central to this, of course, is the Danish capital of Copenhagen, where 40,000 cyclists cross the Dronning Louises Bro bridge every day. The city was one of the first European locations with a dedicated cycling lane, with one opened in 1892 by esplanade. There are 385km of cycling lanes in Copenhagen today as part of a 4,770km-long national network.

Copenhagen is currently operating under a long-term cycling strategy that ranges from 2011 to 2025, with its ultimate goal that 50 per cent of all trips to work and education will be carried out on bikes by 2025. Unlike cities such as London, Copenhagen began this period of concentrated uptake with cycling already in a strong position; data from 2008 to 2010 showed cycling to be the most popular mode of transport to work or education, accounting for 36 per cent of trips, as compared to 29 per cent for the next most popular mode, the car. In 2019, the rate for cycling trips had risen to 44 per cent. Seven out of 10 Danes over the age of six are said to own a bike, with this number rising to nine out of 10 in Copenhagen.

Amsterdam was once known as a cardependent city in the decades following World War II, when European private car ownership increased exponentially, but heavy road casualty rates – 3,300 people were killed on Dutch roads in 1971, including 450 children – led to a focus being placed upon the provision of safe cycling infrastructure.

Protected bike lanes, now commonplace in the provision of such infrastructure, were pioneered in Dutch cities such as Amsterdam and Utrecht, with a 13-year study of 12 cities supplying separate lanes found that all road user fatalities had decreased by 44 per cent and that all 12 cities had seen increases in their cyclist numbers.

Copenhagen’s success has been backed by significant investment at the national and municipal level; the Danish Ministry of Transportation dubbed 2022 ‘the year of the bike’ and announced a large cycling infrastructure plan totalling over three billion DKK, with 2022’s 433 million DKK mainly committed to the building of new cycling lanes. Municipal authorities in Copenhagen have invested over one billion DKK in the decade from 2012 to 2022 and pledged another 67 million DKK for 2022.

Procuring sustainable transport solutions

have a reduced impact on our environment.

Circular 20/2019 instructed government departments “to consider” including green criteria in public procurement, provided they are relevant and subject to budgetary considerations. The current Programme for Government includes a number of commitments including plans to mandate the inclusion of ‘green’ criteria by end of 2023. However, considering the scale and urgency of the crisis we are facing, the lack of urgency inherent in these pronouncements has been disappointing.

In March 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency published its second report on Green Public Procurement (GPP) implementation by government departments. The EPA found that in 2021, green criteria were used to procure contracts with a total value of €55 million; this represented an average of just 10 per cent of the total spend on the contracts assessed (down from 17 per cent in 2020). Of the total number of procurement contracts valued at €25,000 or more which were signed in 2021, 24 per cent were reported to have incorporated GPP (down from 26 per cent in 2020). The low and disimproving levels of GPP implementation among government departments combined with the finding that 10 departments have no GPP policy or strategy in place should be a matter of serious concern.

Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2023 sets an objective of achieving a 51 per cent reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and setting the country on a path to net-zero emissions by 2050. CAP23 is replete with ambitious statements highlighting the need for the public sector to lead the way through the implementation of green public procurement. However, it is fair to question whether this is translating into the type of urgent action on the ground that the UN is pleading for.

The use of public procurement as a tool for driving sustainability is not new. For years the law has recognised that public procurement can be legitimately used for these purposes; in recent times, legislation has become more explicit in this regard. There is now a clear and unequivocal legal basis for the use of ‘green’ selection and award criteria, as well as the assessment of life cycle costs in public tendering procedures. Sustainability can also be reflected in technical specifications and contract performance clauses.

In Ireland, public procurement accounts for 16 per cent of GDP and Government sector purchasing is valued at €21.9 billion annually. Under the National Development Plan, the Government will spend €165 billion between 2021 and 2030, of which at least €35 billion will be invested in transport (a sector which accounts for 18 per cent of our carbon emissions). It should be incumbent upon every public body charged with the procurement of transport-related services, supplies, or construction projects to ensure that it leverages its spending power to expedite the transition to decarbonisation and promote sustainable development goals. Although it has been lawful to do so for many years, the reality is that many public bodies do not regularly incorporate green or sustainable criteria into their evaluation methodologies, thereby missing a critical opportunity to incentivise the development and implementation of sustainable products, services, and work practices which will

Leaders in every public sector body, including those engaged in procuring transport solutions, should be urgently assessing what more they can do to maximise the opportunities afforded by public procurement to reduce the environmental impact of their activity.

Ireland’s largest international law firm, Eversheds Sutherland, has a leading transport practice, advising public authorities and contractors on projects locally and across the globe.

T: +353 86 1849145

E: petercurran@evershedssutherland.ie

W: www.eversheds-sutherland.ie

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sounded the alarm recently when it reported that global warming is “more likely than not” to reach a 1.5oC rise since pre-industrial times and that a lack of political commitment was a key barrier to progress in what is a “rapidly closing window”.

Compressed Natural Gas: Key to net-zero commercial transport

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), reliably delivered through the national gas network, is key to driving sustainable supply chains and is the first step towards net-zero commercial transport in Ireland.

CNG is natural gas that has been compressed and stored at high pressures (over 200 bar) and is typically used as a transport fuel. It is particularly suitable for use in commercial vehicles where electric solutions are not a viable option. The gas used can be either natural or renewable gas that meets the network specifications, providing a pathway to more sustainable transport.

Ireland’s network of CNG stations

Gas Networks Ireland is working to expand the number of CNG stations in Ireland. This cleaner transport network will provide Ireland’s heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and bus fleet operators with a cleaner alternative fuel option to diesel.

There are four Circle K forecourts that have a CNG dispenser: Ballysimon Road, Limerick; Cashel, County Tipperary; and Clonshaugh and Dublin Port in Dublin. These four were constructed as part of the Causeway Project. Each station has the capacity to fill up to 50 HGVs a day, with each fill taking no more than

five minutes.

Ireland faces a significant challenge to meet its emission reduction targets, particularly in the transport sector, as it currently accounts for 42 per cent of Ireland’s energy use, making it the country’s largest source of energy demand. It is also one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise.

Taken at Circle K’s forecourt in Clonshaugh, County Dublin: Gas Networks Ireland’s Head of Business Development, Karen Doyle, and Circle K’s Senior Fuels Director, Jonathan Diver, with Panda driver, Pavel refuelling with BioCNG at Circle K Clonshaugh. As part of its commitment to reducing emissions and carbon footprint across its operations, Panda’s green fleet is fuelled by BioCNG.

The Causeway Project was developed to kick-start the market and to build the first public stations in Ireland. There is now a pipeline of additional public CNG stations progressing through the design, planning and construction project phases.

The expansion of the number of CNG public stations is underway and Gas Networks Ireland expects to have five more operational by 2024.

BioCNG: Carbon neutral fuel

In November 2022, Gas Networks Ireland and Circle K took another step forward in reducing emissions from Ireland’s transport industry by dispensing BioCNG at the four CNG stations.

BioCNG is carbon neutral biomethane gas which is compressed to fit into a vehicle’s tank and is available for HGVs at Circle K’s forecourts in Ballysimon Road, Cashel, Clonshaugh, and Dublin Port.

Ireland’s commercial transport fleet makes up just 3 per cent of vehicles on the road nationwide yet is responsible for approximately 20 per cent of transport’s carbon emissions. HGVs operating on 100 per cent BioCNG can achieve zero carbon emissions.

Sustainable supply chains

There is increasing demand from the transport sector for more decarbonised customer supply chain solutions. Being able to offer a lower-carbon transport solution is a strong differentiator for any business and it demonstrates a focus on sustainability when tendering for new business. With almost two million CNG vehicles across Europe, indications are that growth in Irish fleet operators adopting CNG vehicles as an alternative fuel option will continue.

Gas Networks Ireland’s Head of Business Development, Karen Doyle, says there has been significant growth in demand from businesses looking to source fuel alternatives in order to develop sustainable supply chains.

“While electricity is a proven alternate fuel for cars, electric solutions are not a viable option for use in heavy goods commercial vehicles, however CNG and BioCNG are, and are being used by fleet operators throughout Europe. We are very excited to work with Circle K in offering the option of this carbon neutral fuel to fleet operators in Ireland,” Doyle says.

“In the six months that BioCNG has been available at the four Circle K outlets, almost 1,900 tonnes of carbon emissions have been saved, equating to over 1.9 million carbon neutral kilometres. Cleaner carbon neutral renewable gas will help Ireland reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels and help to decarbonise Irish businesses, transport, and supply chains. By gradually replacing natural gas with renewable and carbon neutral gases such as biomethane and hydrogen, Ireland’s transport sector can be powered by increasingly cleaner fuel.”

About Gas Networks Ireland

Gas Networks Ireland operates and maintains Ireland’s €2.7 billion, 14,664km national gas network, which is considered one of the safest and most modern renewables-ready gas networks in the world.

Over 720,000 Irish homes and businesses trust Ireland’s gas network to provide efficient and reliable energy to meet their heating, cooking, manufacturing, and transport needs.

The gas network is the cornerstone of Ireland’s energy system, securely supplying more than 30 per cent of Ireland’s total energy, including 40 per cent of all heating and almost 50 per cent of the country’s electricity generation.

By working to replace natural gas with renewable gases, such as biomethane and green hydrogen, and complementing intermittent renewable electricity, Gas Networks Ireland is supporting Ireland’s journey to a cleaner energy future.

www.gasnetworks.ie

Ireland’s network of CNG stations

Circle K’s Senior Director Fuels, Jonathan Diver says: “Working with Gas Networks Ireland, we began making a low carbon fuel alternative for commercial vehicles available with the introduction of compressed natural gas (CNG) in 2019. While CNG can reduce a HGV’s emissions by up to 22 per cent, BioCNG can turn it into a carbon neutral vehicle.”

“Circle K is Ireland’s leading fuels supplier to the commercial transport and freight industry, and a key priority of ours is supporting this sector as it endeavours to reduce its carbon emissions in addition to providing the other necessary goods and services, they require. Expanding and innovating our network of CNG refuelling stations as well as continuing to develop our EV charging facilities are both key elements within our overall sustainability agenda and we intend to make further progress in this regard in the months and years ahead.”

Biomethane – from farm to freight

Structurally identical to natural gas, biomethane is a carbon neutral renewable gas that can be made from farm and food waste through a process known as anaerobic digestion.

Biomethane is fully compatible with the national gas network and existing appliances, technologies, and vehicles. It can seamlessly replace natural gas to reduce emissions in heating, industry, transport, and power generation, while also supporting the decarbonisation of the agri-food sector.

Gas Networks Ireland first introduced domestically produced biomethane onto Ireland’s gas network more than three years ago. In 2022, Gas Networks Ireland transported 41GWh of biomethane in the national network. It is beginning to seamlessly replace natural gas and is fully compatible with existing appliances and technology.

Biomethane injected into Ireland’s gas network can be transported to forecourts which have a CNG refilling station. Where the biomethane is certified by an EU Voluntary scheme as meeting the sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction criteria set out in RED II, it is fully renewable. This renewable gas is a zero-emissions fuel in the transport sector and qualifies for the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RFTO) operated by the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA).

Gas Networks Ireland’s Renewable Gas Registry tracks the allocation of the biomethane from the point of injection into the grid to the point of withdrawal at individual refuelling stations. A proof of origin certificate issued by the registry completes a mass-balance check between injection and withdrawal from the grid.

There is significant scope for biomethane production in Ireland. With the European Commission identifying Ireland as having the highest potential per capita to produce biomethane, it will also play a major role in Ireland and the EU’s commitment to becoming an energyefficient, low carbon economy. An indigenous biomethane industry would not only support the decarbonisation of the agricultural sector, but it

would also provide significant opportunities for rural communities and facilitate sustainable circular economies.

To prepare for increased biomethane connections and injection, Gas Networks Ireland is developing a coordinated gas network plan, which will outline the development of the gas network to bring biomethane to over 720,000 homes and businesses across the country in the most efficient and effective manner.

CNG vehicle grant scheme

To help Ireland’s fleet operators and hauliers transition to cleaner, affordable CNG vehicles, Gas Networks Ireland has a CNG Vehicle Grant Scheme which provides grants of up to €5,000 for new CNG vehicles, up to maximum of €60,000 per business.

The CNG Vehicle Grant Scheme is cofinanced by the European Union’s TEN-T Programme under the Connecting Europe Facility as part of the Green Connect Project. Applications are now being accepted at: www.gasnetworks.ie/cngvehiclegrant

Toner Transport & Logistics

Dublin-based, Toner Transport & Logistics became the first company to successfully secure a grant through Gas Networks Ireland’s current CNG grant scheme and are now able to provide customers with a more sustainable service and reduce carbon emissions in supply chains.

As a business operating for four generations, the move to CNG means that, as the volume of renewable gas on the network increases in the years ahead, Toner Transport will be able to transition to an even more sustainable transport solution without further investment, increasingly reducing emissions and maintaining a competitive advantage for many more generations to come.

Toner Transport is an award-winning Dublin-based family business that has been at the forefront of the transport industry for four generations, working closely with its customer base to discover cleaner transport solutions.

“For those businesses who are actively integrating the use of sustainable practices into their supply chain management, they stand to gain a real

competitive advantage,” Toner Transport & Logistics Managing Director, Paul Toner says.

“When one of our largest customers, the paper and packaging group Smurfit Kappa, approached the team to investigate ways they can reduce carbon emissions, we instantly knew that one way is through the switch to a CNG truck from a diesel-fuelled truck,” Toner adds.

“We work with Smurfit Kappa to deliver packaging material throughout the 32 counties of Ireland, from Cork to Dublin and everywhere in between, and the new CNG truck will clock up over 100,000km a year. Throughout the 40-year association with Smurfit Kappa, we always innovate and look at new ways we can adapt our fleet to work with them and all our customers to help achieve their business goals.

“From a business development perspective, being able to offer a lowercarbon transport solution is a strong differentiator for any business. It demonstrates a focus on sustainability when tendering for new business.”

EU Clean Vehicle Directive

A key consideration for public organisations moving forward is the EU Clean Vehicles Directive, which passed into Irish law in 2021. This Directive sets

targets for public procurement of clean vehicles by increasing the share of low and zero-emission vehicles tendered for by public authorities.

Ireland has agreed to adopt the maximum target of almost 40 per cent of cars and light trucks and 10 per cent of heavy-duty trucks procured from August 2021 must be cleaner vehicles. For buses, the target is even higher, with a requirement of 45 per cent to be cleaner vehicles and half of that to be zeroemission vehicles.

The CNG team at Gas Networks Ireland is available to work with agencies and councils that wish to explore CNG and renewable gas as an option to meet this obligation when procuring their heavy transport and passenger vehicles.

E: cng@gasnetworks.ie

W: www.gasnetworks.ie/cng

Toner Transport & Logistics Managing Director, Paul Toner with Gas Networks Ireland’s CNG and Renewable Gas Sales Manager, David Hanahoe

OECD: Ireland ‘car dependent by design’

Published in late 2022, Redesigning Ireland’s Transport for Net Zero: Towards Systems that Work for People and the Planet states that the State’s transport system is characterised by three “undesirable dynamics”. These are induced car demand, urban sprawl, and the low attractive trap of sustainable modes of transport.

The OECD additionally states that the policies announced in the Climate Action Plan will not reduce Ireland’s CO2 emissions enough to meet the emissions targets as it does not adequately reform the State’s transport system away from a reliance on private car transport.

Key observations

The OECD report makes five broad observations for the State for it to embrace a transport system compatible with Ireland’s climate commitments.

The first observation is that the Irish transport system fosters growing car use and emissions by design, rendering it unfit to enable the State to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals while

improving wellbeing. “Growing car use in Ireland is largely determined by car-dependent transport and urban systems, organised around increased mobility and characterised by three unsustainable dynamics: induced car demand, urban sprawl, and the sustainable modes low-attractiveness trap,” the report states.

The second observation in the report is that aiming at decarbonising the transport system via private vehicle improvements is unlikely to lead to substantially different patterns of behaviour, rapid emissions reductions, and large well-being improvements. “Car-dependent systems make rapid electrification slow and difficult, by locking-in large and growing vehicle fleets. Even with improved (and fully electric) vehicles, they also fail to reduce life-cycle emissions, address accessibility gaps and other negative impacts (e.g., road fatalities).”

Published before the publication of Climate Action Plan 2023, the third observation made by the OECD is that government policies implemented thus far and those expected to bring the highest

An OECD report has determined that the Irish transport system fosters growing car use and emissions by design and is thus unfit to enable the country to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals while improving wellbeing.

boldly moving forward

emission reduction shares according to Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2021 are unlikely to help the country transform its car-dependent system. “Most efforts in Ireland have been allocated to policies with a low to medium potential to transform the current system (e.g., electric vehicle incentives for private cars, increasing the budget allocated to public transport infrastructure compared to what is allocated to car infrastructure, carbon and road prices, infill/brownfield development targets). Currently prioritised policies, such as electric vehicle incentives, also reinforce car dependency, further locking the country into a system that fosters growing car use and emissions by design.”

More encouragingly, the OECD highlights the scope for “enormous opportunities by prioritising policies with a high potential for transforming its car-dependent system”. “While taking different shapes, transformation of the transport system away from car dependency is possible in different types of territories (e.g., Dublin, Cork, Sligo, and Kildare).”

The fifth broad observation made by the OECD is that policies with a high transformative potential include road space reallocation, the mainstream of on-demand shared services and communication efforts to address car-centric mindsets. “Currently, these policies are marginal and implemented on a small scale. The recently issued [2022] Sustainable Mobility Policy increases the centrality of transformative policies, reflecting an effort towards transformative change,” the report outlines.

Four recommendations

The report makes four key recommendations to alleviate the issue. Firstly, it states that the Government should redefine the goal of the transport system as “sustainable accessibility”, with complimentary recommendations of revisiting measurement frameworks and models, as well as setting a sustainability goal for planning.

Secondly, the report states that the Government should prioritise the scaling up of policies which

can help move Ireland away from its car-reliant system, ensuring that sustainable modes of transport are the first choice for a bulk of trips.

Third, Ireland needs to redefine its electrification strategy to support the transition towards a sustainable transport system, outlining that a target should be set for people in terms of kilometres travelled.

Fourth and finally, the report says that the Government needs to embrace a systemic approach to policy decision-making across government departments, stating that there needs to be “shared understanding of root causes by all stakeholders and to expose ingrained ideas that hinder progress”.

Government consideration

At the time of the report’s publication, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD said that the report’s findings will continue to inform both the Department’s public engagement activity, and the measures to be implemented over the coming period.

“The report’s findings on what are the most impactful and transformative measures, which will also increase people’s wellbeing, strongly reflect and support what we are seeking to deliver overall through our Sustainable Mobility Policy, the work of our Leadership Group and [the] ‘Pathfinder Programme’.

“The scale of the challenge we face in decarbonising transport, as highlighted in this report, will not be easy and will require a truly transformative level of behavioural and systems change over years. The perspective in this report is rightly on making changes now that will deliver a net zero future for transport to 2050.

“The longer-term focus should be on reducing demand and systemic changes that address car dependence. I would also reinforce, however, the need to continue our focus on electrification of our passenger and public transport fleet, as set out in our Climate Action Plan, as an appropriate measure for the medium term to 2030.”

transport report

Decade of delivery for Iarnród Éireann is powering ahead

DART+ Programme

Already, 185 carriages of the new DART+ fleet are on order from Alstomarriving from 2024, and entering service from 2025, the order could potentially increase to 750 carriages over the decade. The fleet order is an integral part of DART+, an investment will allow more trains to operate on all routes on our network, provide greater standards of accessibility, and allow for the decarbonisation of all Greater Dublin Area rail services.

More trains, less carbon, more accessibility, less congestion, more frequency, capacity, and sustainability –these will be features of a transport network with rail at its core, all leading to a doubling of the carrying capacity of the Greater Dublin Area network.

National network

What do we mean by being in a decade of delivery in Iarnród Éireann? Our vision of being the backbone of Ireland’s sustainable transport network is clear, and now with the support of government and the National Transport Authority for the capital investment to achieve this, we are firmly in delivery mode.

The decade of delivery also encompasses a transformed customer experience, to deliver a great journey, every journey for our customers, and become a leader in customer experience amongst European railways. We are also building a workplace to firmly establish Iarnród Eireann as an employer of choice. Ensuring we have

the talent and skills across all roles needed to deliver on our ambitions is critical, and we are proud to offer not just employment but full career opportunities to our team of over 4,400 colleagues. In 2023, for the third year in a row, Iarnród Eireann was ranked as one of Ireland’s five leading employers in the Sunday Independent Statista Best Employers research – third overall, and the leading Irish employer in this year’s study.

Across all aspects of our business – for passenger and freight services on our rail network, and as Port Authority for Rosslare Europort – the decade of delivery is underway.

Investment in infrastructure in the Dublin area will also grow our ability to operate services right around the country. Targeted line speed improvement works are also taking place. Construction of the new National Train Control Centre at Heuston Station has been completed, with train control systems being developed for full commissioning by 2025, to deliver more efficient train management across the network, to cater for the expanded network and services.

Regional cities

€185 million is to be invested in the Cork commuter rail network, under the EU-funded Recovery and Resilience Plan, allowing Iarnród Éireann to increase the Cork commuter rail network’s capacity through:

• double-tracking Glounthaune to Midleton;

• developing a new through platform at Kent Station for through running for Mallow to Midleton/Cobh; and

Capital investment in rail and Rosslare

Europort is being matched by customer experience and people focus says Jim Meade, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann.

• resignalling the Cork commuter network.

All three elements are in the planning process, to remain on track for delivery.

In Galway, funding under the Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF) includes:

• investment of €9.3 million for a passing railway loop at the existing Oranmore Train Station, which will allow the busy commuter link between Athenry and Galway to grow; and

• Ceannt Station will be regenerated as part of a major €40.3 million Galway City Council Transport Connectivity project.

In Limerick, the completion of the city’s own transportation hub centred on Colbert Station will also boost services, and the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy has detailed the opportunities provided by the network of rail lines around Limerick City.

Waterford’s Plunkett Station will be relocated to be part of an integrated transport hub under plans to develop the city’s North Quays.

Rail freight and Rosslare Europort

Iarnród Éireann’s Rail Freight 2040 Strategy aims to achieve:

• a five-fold increase in the number of rail freight services;

• a resulting reduction of 25,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually; and

• avoiding the requirement for 140,000 HGV journeys on our roads annually.

DART+ Programme project status

Project Serving Update

DART+ West Maynooth/M3 Parkway to City, including new depot west of Maynooth

DART+ South West Hazelhatch to Heuston and Phoenix Park Tunnel

DART+ Coastal North Connolly to Drogheda

DART+ Coastal South Connolly to Greystones

DART+ Fleet New trains for all DART+ routes above

Railway order application lodged July 2022

Railway order application lodged March 2023

Second public consultation underway

Emerging preferred option being developed

Next steps

Railway order hearing to be scheduled by An Bord Pleanála

Railway order hearing to be scheduled by An Bord Pleanála

Railway order application expected to lodge Q4 2023

Public consultation dates to be confirmed

185 DART+ carriages ordered First carriages arrive 2024

Works to reinstate the Limerick to Foynes rail line for freight services are underway following funding from the Department of Transport, a clear commitment to the goals of Rail Freight 2040, with a 2025 opening date planned.

Iarnród Éireann is also Port Authority for Rosslare Europort, and its status as Ireland’s gateway to Europe has been confirmed with 36 services operating directly between the port and Europe each week.

As well as investment in the Port Masterplan, the Office of Public Works’ Project T7 for a permanent border control post, and the new TII N25

Rosslare Europort Access Road, an ambitious €200 million plan to become Ireland’s offshore renewable energy hub, with the port uniquely placed to support the development of the industry in the Celtic and Irish seas.

Our journey to our sustainable future is to a destination which will benefit our country, our environment, our communities, and our society as a whole, and everyone is welcome on board.

W: www.irishrail.ie

Twitter: @irishrail

Artist’s impression of the new Ceannt Station, Galway.

Pathfinder projects: In profile

pilot projects for the National Sustainable Mobility Policy. There are six categories: national impact, cycle network, public transport, active travel, servicing schools/universities, and workshops/research. eolas Magazine examines a project from each category.

Inter-Urban Demonstrator – national link Cork-Waterford (national impact)

This will build on the greenway already in use in Waterford and will eventually link Waterford city and Cork city, with a 46km section from Waterford city to Dungarvan for walkers, runners, and cyclists. The section around Glounthaune in east Cork is completed and the adjacent sections are being worked on.

The Government is aiming to complete a 21km path between Midleton to Youghal at some stage in 2023. However, the path between Mallow to Fermoy to Lismore to Dungarvan is in the planning stage and there remains a 31km gap between the towns of Youghal and Dungarvan.

Mullingar Cycle Corridor with links to Dublin-Galway Greenway (cycle network/corridor proposals)

The Department of Transport has stated: “This Westmeath County Council project involves the provision of a walking and cycling route from the west to the east side of the town to bring cyclists into the core of the town, linking into the Dublin-Galway Greenway/Royal Canal Blueway and incorporating improved public realm aspects.

“The cycle corridor will complement the existing bike hire scheme in the town, which launched at the end of April 2022. It is intended that the provision of improved infrastructure will facilitate further expansion of the scheme.”

boldly moving forward

Athlone bus service electrification (public transport)

The first pathfinder project to have commenced, efforts to transform Athlone’s bus service into a 100 per cent electric operation began on 29 January. Since then, 11 new electric buses have operated in Athlone town services, completing a total of over 170,000km so far.

The new buses will be charged using newly installed charging infrastructure supplied with power from the newly constructed electricity substation within the Bus Éireann depot on Station Road, Athlone. Construction and installation work here was carried out by ESB Smart Energy Services.

Clonmel 10-minute town (active travel)

To be delivered by Tipperary County Council, this project will prioritise pedestrian access to town centre streets. In certain locations, it will involve creation of shared spaces, wider pedestrian facilities with seating, cycle stands, and smart technology, incorporating tree planting, landscaping and drainage measures.

The project will connect existing and proposed walking and cycling infrastructure such as the Suir Blueway, the proposed Suir Island pedestrian and cycling bridge, the proposed Cahir to Clonmel Greenway, and the Safe Route to Schools projects.

Five Cities Demonstrator: Limerick City university connectivity (servicing schools/universities)

The Five Cities Demonstrator project will develop a rail link between Limerick city centre and the campuses of the main third level institutions, Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, and the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest.

Green Party TD for Limerick City, Brian Leddin, has welcomed the projects: “This is the first new train station in the midwest in more than a century, and it will be the first of a number of new stations across our city and suburbs, as Limerick grows its population to 150,000 or more.”

Workplace mobility hubs – four Dublin local authorities (workshops/research)

The four Dublin councils – Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, South Dublin County Council, and Fingal County Council – will launch schemes with elements of cycle infrastructure, traffic reduction, road space reallocation, public realm improvements, and the 10minute neighbourhood.

The city centre pathfinder will combine the conversion of College Green and Dame Street to a lowtraffic environment with the enhancement of public transport and active travel provision via the review of the City Centre Transport Study.

In South Dublin, there will be a 11km cycle network in Tallaght/Dublin 24, and the development of Castletymon as a 10-minute neighbourhood via walking and cycling infrastructure, with public realm improvements. Both projects will link with the Dodder Valley cycle scheme creating an overall enhanced walking and cycling network.

The Dún Laoghaire/Blackrock area will be transformed into 10-minute town model to include segregated cycle facilities, an expansion of walking and cycling options into the area south of Dún Laoghaire.

With many Dublin Airport staff living in Swords, Fingal County Council will oversee a network in Swords, 5km from the airport, to facilitate improved cycling and public transport connectivity with Dublin Airport, further enhanced when the BusConnects scheme is complete in 2028.

RSA: Worrying increase in cycling injuries

The Cyclists Serious Injury Report 2016 to 2021 was prepared using data from the Irish Road Traffic Collision Database, which is based on collision records transferred from An Garda Síochána to the RSA.

The research found that between 2016 and 2021, there was an average of 239 people seriously injured while cycling each year. Nine per cent of people seriously injured while cycling was a result of a collision in which the driver failed to remain at the scene, i.e., a ‘hit and run’ incident.

However, the starkest result from the research shows that for every cyclist that was killed in the period of the study, there was an average of 25 people seriously injured while cycling.

Unsurprisingly, eight in 10 serious injuries were a result of multi-vehicle collisions which most commonly

involved a car (76 per cent). The remainder were single cyclist collisions. Failure to observe by the driver involved in the collision was the most frequently noted action (38 per cent) in collisions where people who cycle were seriously injured.

Other key findings include:

• Over three-quarters (77 per cent) of people seriously injured while cycling were male;

• the highest proportion of serious injuries occurred between 4pm and 8pm (29 per cent);

• 62 per cent of serious injuries occurred Monday to Thursday;

• The highest proportions of serious injuries occurred in July (11 per cent) and Sept (11 per cent);

• four in five serious injuries occurred on urban roads; and

• almost half of serious injuries occurred at a junction (46 per cent), most commonly a T-junction or crossroads.

Sam Waide, CEO, Road Safety Authority says: “Everyone using the roads has an equal responsibility to ensure good road user behaviour and to protect vulnerable road users, including people who cycle. This research published by the RSA is very worrying and highlights a concerning disregard for people who cycle. In particular, the figure relating to the number of drivers who fail to remain at the scene of a collision is shocking and shows a complete lack of respect for life. It is vital that drivers look out for cyclists by allowing the required space when overtaking them and ensuring to check their blind spot at junctions and

A new report published by the RSA shows a worrying increase in the number of people being seriously injured while cycling.

Professional Cyclist Imogen Cotter, Sam Waide CEO RSA and Eimear Cotter Marketing Manager Škoda Ireland launching the new cycle road safety campaign’.

changing lanes. It is important to always anticipate a cyclist having to make a sudden move to avoid obstructions. We all have a responsibility, whether as motorists, cyclists, or pedestrians to share the road in a safe and responsible manner.”

Waide adds: “We know from a recent academic study that was conducted for the RSA by the University of Galway that almost a third of people hit by a vehicle travelling at 50km/h will be killed, rising to half at 60km/h. Therefore, it is very important that drivers reduce their speed particularly in urban areas where there are potentially a lot of cyclists. It also points to the need for the greater rollout of 30km/h speed limits in our urban areas to promote safer, greener, and more liveable communities.”

Ireland’s fifth government Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 aims to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by 50 per cent over the next 10 years. This means reducing deaths on Ireland’s roads annually from 144 to 72 or lower and reducing serious injuries from 1,259 to 630 or lower by 2030.

The strategy is the first step in achieving the 2020 Programme for Government commitment of bringing Ireland to Vision Zero. This is to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by the year 2050.

New cycle safety campaign launched

Professional cyclist, Imogen Cotter, who was seriously injured in a head-on collision in January 2022, is calling on motorists to slow down and share the roads safely with people cycling as part of a new road safety campaign being led by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and Škoda Ireland.

While training, Imogen was hit by an oncoming vehicle that was attempting to overtake another person cycling on the other side of the road. She suffered serious injuries resulting in five surgeries and hundreds of hours of physiotherapy. Since the collision, Imogen has documented her road to recovery and is now working with the RSA and Škoda Ireland on a safety appeal campaign reminding motorists to share the roads safely with those who cycle.

Specifically, she is asking drivers to slow down and give people who cycle the

Fatalities and serious injuries among people who cycle,

space to ride safely when overtaking them (at least 1 metre in speed zones up to 50 km/h and at least 1.5 metres in zones over 50km/h).

Speaking at the launch, Cotter, who is a Škoda Ireland ambassador, said: “I remember seeing the van coming at me and thinking I was going to die. I hit the windscreen really hard. It was horrifying for my parents to get a call like that. It felt so unfair, everything I worked for, for so long could have been gone in an instant. People need to slow down and see the impact not observing people cycling can have. My message is for people to slow down and realise there is a real person cycling on that road. They are people with whole lives and goals. If this campaign can make one person

slow down that will be a step in the right direction to making roads safer for everyone.”

The digital campaign in partnership with Škoda Ireland will run across social media and video on demand over the summer.

W: www.rsa.ie

Ambitions to almost treble EV charging power by 2025

With the Climate Action Plan outlining a target for reducing emissions from the transport sector by 50 per cent, and the transport sector accounting for 20 per cent of the State’s emissions, the longterm target of getting one million EVs onto the road by 2030 requires significant improvement in the State’s existing EV infrastructure.

Strategy ambition

Planning for the short to medium term, the ambition of this strategy is to deliver the infrastructure to meet and be ahead of Ireland’s charging needs. Included in this ambition is to ensure alignment with the EU's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).

The EU's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) will set binding criteria regarding the minimum

level of charging power available in each member state. Assuming Ireland will meet its CAP target of 195,000 light-duty EVs by 2025, approximately 169,000kW of charging power will be required across the country by the end of 2025. To achieve this and more will be the ambition set by the strategy. The types and numbers of charge points

used to deliver this power will be based on user needs.

The number of charge points could increase from approximately 1,700 in September 2022 to somewhere between 2,540 and 4,850 by 2025. The following table shows a range of scenarios for how this demand may be met:

The Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy 2022-2025 will see in the region of €100 million spent over the next three years, aimed at enabling the target of one million electric vehicles in the State by 2030.

Implementation Plan actions

Implementation Plan 2023-2025 actions to drive delivery and to stimulate EV infrastructure availability will fall under four broad areas:

1. National EV Charging Network Plan: Aimed at producing a national EV charging infrastructure demand plan and related demand-supply assessment according to the electricity grid’s readiness to meet the projected demand between 2023 and 2025.

2. Schemes: Provides details on future milestones related to the progress of schemes planned to provide increased EV charging infrastructure.

3. Policy and strategy: Includes deliverables and related milestones for delivering the necessary policies in support of the expansion of EV charging infrastructure. It also deals with policies related to electric vehicles and EV transition.

4. Reporting and communications: Includes deliverables and actions that support the reporting and communications that need to be made to the public, as well as to the European Union under AFIR regulations.

It is important to note that the main delivery focus will be on the provision of public charging infrastructure for electric cars and light-duty vehicles. Charging infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles will be delivered as the technology for this sector matures and in alignment with EU requirements.

Home charging infrastructure

In October 2022, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD announced a new regulation stipulating that newly built homes must be equipped with electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

In a statement released on 12 November 2022, Minister O’Brien announced that the infrastructure will

be built on: new homes with a parking space located within its boundary; new multi-unit residential buildings; and multi-unit residential buildings undergoing major renovation where the car park is located inside or adjacent to the building.

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage stated that there are currently in the region of 45,000 electric vehicles being operated in the State. The Climate Action Plan commits the Government to ensuring that this number increases to at least 945,000 by 2030.

Announcing the new regulations, Minister O’Brien stated: “The regulations will help accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles, creating and enabling infrastructure to achieve the government commitment of nearly one million electric vehicles by 2030. We are sending a strong signal of Ireland’s commitment to the clean energy transition, as the building sector has a vast potential to contribute to a carbonneutral and competitive economy.”

Government guidance

Describing the action plan as having a ‘people first’ approach, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD said: “The EV Strategy sets out a roadmap for creating an entirely new infrastructure across the country – one that people can have confidence in and one that will encourage more and more people to choose EVs.

“It is happening already – EV sales are sky-rocketing – but the new infrastructure we are planning should take away concern or worry that people might have about access to charging points.”

The Minister concluded by outlining the “key anchor” for the strategy; the ZEVI unit. “Within this unit, we have the expertise, the knowledge, the guidance, the resources that local authorities will need to be able to make the best decisions on the procurement, leasing and location of EV chargers.”

“The EV Strategy sets out a roadmap for creating an entirely new infrastructure across the country – one that people can have confidence in and one that will encourage more and more people to choose EVs.”

Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan TD

Keeping Dublin moving

As our city has grown, so has the volume of traffic on our roads. Each day, more and more people flock to our city to live, work, and socialise. With more

cars, buses, cyclists, and pedestrians than ever before competing for limited space, Dublin has earned the unwelcome title of the second-worst city for traffic congestion in Europe. The message is clear, we need a more liveable and sustainable future for our city, and public transport is the solution.

As Dublin continues to grow, we need to embrace a system that allows the free movement of people across the city at an affordable price, but we will only persuade people to leave their cars at home and embrace public transport when we can assure them their bus will arrive at their stop and destination on time. When streets become gridlocked,

ripples can be seen across the network, which can cause delays, disrupt schedules, and leave customers frustrated by unpredictable travel times. As a result, people can be hesitant to depend on public transport to get them to work, school, appointments, and events on time. At Dublin Bus, we have always taken pride in helping to keep the city moving, but as traffic levels reach new heights, we need more space on our roads to continue delivering a safe, reliable, and efficient service to our customers.

The reallocation of road space to onroad public transport has become a topic of discussion for policymakers and

Dublin, a now thriving capital, has undergone a remarkable evolution to become the epicentre of Ireland's economic, cultural, and social advancements, writes Sorin Costica, Head of Operations at Dublin Bus.

planners in major cities worldwide. As the Head of Operations for Dublin Bus, I strongly advocate for the need for more bus gates and corridors as they improve the efficiency and reliability of our service, helping our buses to move more freely around the city. However, as someone who lives and works in Dublin, I also recognise the far-reaching benefits which would enhance the overall quality of life in our city. By creating car-free zones, we can improve the air quality, reduce noise pollution, and make our city a safer place for pedestrians and cyclists. These positive knock-on effects would improve the rhythm of Dublin's daily life and make our city a better place for both residents and visitors alike.

Nevertheless, a city-wide transformation would take time, and we need solutions now to alleviate congestion. So, while we await additional road space, we must concentrate on protecting our current space. In essence, we need to enforce bus lane compliance. When faced with an endless line of brake lights ahead, a quick journey up the seemingly free-flowing bus lane can seem harmless. As someone who witnesses and manages the operational chaos which can be caused by blocked bus lanes, I can assure you that this only adds to commuter frustrations. When bus lanes become congested, the very buses tasked with efficiently transporting dozens of people across the city inevitably become entangled in the same gridlock as other singleoccupancy vehicles. Fortunately, solutions do exist. We need to raise public awareness of the cascading effects of non-compliance, but we also need stricter enforcement. Dublin can learn from the success of cities like Belfast, London, and New York by adopting photo or video enforcement technology to protect our bus lanes. Introducing a credible risk of fines would encourage drivers to respect the bus lanes, promote the smooth flow of traffic, and ultimately help keep our city moving.

How to keep Dublin moving into the future will be our next challenge. Public transport will remain a fundamental component, but we must also consider how we can meet the demands of our dynamic and expanding city. As Dublin emerges as one of the fastest-growing cities in the EU, a broader perspective is required. We must look beyond traditional modes of transport and embrace emerging technologies and innovative ideas. Ridesharing,

autonomous vehicles, and micromobility solutions, are only some of the avenues we could explore to create a more integrated and sustainable transport network. We could also continue to invest in multi-modal transport solutions, integrating various transport services – such as buses, light rail, rail, cycling, walking, and e-scooters to further enhance connectivity. By adopting these approaches, we can cater to the evolving needs of our city and ensure Dublin remains in motion,

seamlessly connecting people and places.

Dublin’s future relies on creating a city where people can move freely and reliably. Empowering commuters to reduce their carbon footprint and enhance their quality of life is crucial. By working together, we can ensure Dublin continues to thrive for decades to come.

W: www.dublinbus.ie

“As the Head of Operations for Dublin Bus, I strongly advocate for the need for more bus gates and corridors as they improve the efficiency and reliability of our service, helping our buses to move more freely around the city.”

Luas is transforming

Transdev is one of the largest public transport operators globally, with a reputation for delivering high quality local public transport. With operations in 19 countries and all continents, Transdev is active in all aspects of public transport provision, from the organisation and management of significant projects to the development of passenger services and the operation of networks.

In Ireland, Transdev has been operating Luas, Dublin's light rail system since it came into operation in 2004. Since 2019, Transdev, now known as Transdev Dublin Light Rail Ltd (TDLR), operates and maintains the Luas. The Luas system consists of the following:

· 81 trams

· 42.5km of track

· 7 Park + Ride facilities

· 67 stops/platforms

Luas transports over 110,000 customers each day, and Transdev is constantly working internally and with clients TII and NTA to ensure that customers are looked after in every way possible, whether this is through transforming our maintenance activity to ensure excellent reliability and performance or through our operations department to ensure a safe, punctual, and seamless customer journey.

Luas transformation

In this report, Transdev will focus on the transformation taking place within Luas. To understand the transformation, we must look back at when it began. Set against the backdrop of Covid-19, which

we know had an impact on the Luas and other travel operators here and overseas, we saw travel behaviour and people, including employees’ perception towards public transport, change. For TDLR, the most significant impact were issues arising in supply chains due to Covid-19 and related staff absences.

Notwithstanding this impact, TDLR has advanced its transformation plans since 2020, introducing lean working practices, referenced below, whilst developing new procedures incorporating an increased emphasis on life cycle thinking, leadership, and risk analysis.

Also included in the transformation are plans designed to improve the flow of information and tasks between employees. A key pillar of our plans will be to ensure TDLR can always anticipate tram demand and avoid any reduction in service whenever possible.

This transformation is taking place across the company, but there is an emphasis on Luas maintenance, notably the Light Rail recovery plan. This plan ties in with life cycle thinking and sustainability and is being led by Irish and International leadership teams.

Luas Light Rail Plan

As part of its overall Maintenance Plan, TDLR launched a particular initiative called the Luas Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) Maintenance Recovery Plan.

This transport report provides you the reader with an insight into the recovery plan, which was and is a key initiative, extensive and contributes significantly to the broader transformation.

The plan intended to recover the backlog of Red Line 401 trams, which needed to be serviced. These services are known as tram exams. Specific exams can take between two and five days to complete, and the backlog in exams came about due to issues previously mentioned associated with the pandemic. The recovery project, now successfully completed, was a top priority for TDLR and was allocated extensive resources.

One example of the way we went about ensuring success was to implement lean management principles. We took over the entire Luas Broombridge Depot. We used external contractors to assist with maintenance, which subsequently allowed for increased production and servicing. Working in this new and intense way ensured we did not overly impact the number of trams being provided for customer service.

Furthermore, to complete the transformation of the Red Line LRV, we introduced the 'Transdev way' to Dublin colleagues, which is about long-term thinking to ensure vehicle sustainability now and into the future. To date, we continue implementing several significant changes to ensure trams are sustained long-term. Some of these changes are:

• A reorganisation of the LRV function focusing on planning, production, and monitoring of effective maintenance.

• The appointment of a significant number of additional staff to reinforce the maintenance teams, including fleet coordinators, for medium- and long-term planning.

• Daily planners for day-to-day delivery and depot managers across each depot to ensure delivery of the required number of trams.

• The transitioning of both the Red Line 401 and Green Line 402/502 fleets back to the correct maintenance cycle in line with the manufacturer's annual maintenance plan. This has resulted in a level workload throughout the year.

• Through excess maintenance, each

team was put back on the correct cycle, ensuring the correct application of maintenance tolerances in the future.

• Transdev plans to deliver preventative maintenance without the use of any tolerances/concessions across both fleets.

Lean management project

The lean management project was launched in 2021 and is ongoing. The tram exam aspect is now complete, delivering an optimised exam process through improved processes, parts and tooling reviews etc. In addition, lean has been applied to all repeatable preventative maintenance tasks ensuring maximum productivity and efficiency. Lean management work practices are being rolled out in operations functions too.

Supporting our client TII

We also supported our client TII in delivering significant asset renewals over the past two years, including rail and overhead Line replacements most weekends ensuring the Luas network remains in perfect operational condition. Finally, TDLR would like to acknowledge employees in this report as we secured special agreements with unions to support all operational and maintenance plans.

T: +353 1 461 4910

E: Info@tdlr.ie

W: www.transdev.com

“Luas transports over 110,000 customers each day, and Transdev is constantly working internally and with clients TII and NTA to ensure that customers are looked after in every way possible.”

Transport in Ireland: Statistical focus

Cars

13,436km travelled annually by average car in 2021

15,979 taxis in operation in 2021

• 2% less than in 2020

8,554 new private electric cars registered in 2021

• 117% more than in 2020

Road freight transport 2021

154.9 million tonnes of goods were transported by road

Total distance covered by road freight transport 1.7 billion km

Freight tonnage increased by 8% in Q4 2021

Vehicles licensed for first time

New cars licensed in April 2023 increased by 1,232 vehicles (12%) compared with April 2022

Number of used cars licensed in the first four months of 2023 rose by 5% compared with the same period in 2022 (16,022 versus 15,287).

boldly moving forward

Airport travel stats

Dublin Airport 27,787,556 passengers in 2022

• Increase from 8,266,271 in 2021 (236.2%) but down from pre-Covid (2019) figure of 32,907,673 (-15%)

Cork Airport 2,235,260 passengers in 2022

• Increase from 255,014 in 2021 (776.5%) but down from pre-Covid figure of 2,585,466 (-13%)

Shannon Airport 1,510,000 passengers in 2022

• Increase from 379,935 in 2021 (294.8%) but down from pre-Covid figure of 1,710,000 (-12%)

Port and maritime transport

Irish ports handled nearly 54 million tonnes of goods in 2021

• Increase of 5% compared with 2020

Goods forwarded from Irish ports amounted to 17.4 million tonnes in 2021, while a total of 36.5 million tonnes of goods were received

1,020,000 passengers passed through Irish ports in 2021

• increase of 25% compared with 2020

Source: CSO, November 2022

Source: CSO

Charting a more sustainable future for Ireland’s transportation infrastructure

Global expertise, local impact

Egis is a leading global consulting, construction engineering and operation firm, working across every aspect of transport and the built environment to build a more balanced sustainable and resilient world. In 2022, the group achieved a turnover of €1.48 billion, with 16,000 employees working in over 100 countries helping clients reimagine how buildings and cities, infrastructure and utilities, mobility and transport are designed and engineered.

In 1994, Egis was appointed to carry out the design, engineering, procurement, and testing & commissioning of the first two lines of Dublin’s Luas LRT system, comprising 25km of track, 14 Citadis 401 40m tram sets, 26 Citadis 301 30m tram sets, 36 stations, the Red line depot at Red Cow, and the Green line depot at Sandyford.

Since 1994, as lead designer for Luas lines A and B, Egis has been a trusted name in Ireland delivering major infrastructure projects such as the operation, maintenance, and asset management of over 470km of motorway, structures, and tunnels, including the iconic Mary McAleese Bridge spanning the Boyne Valley, and Dublin Tunnel – one of Europe’s longest urban tunnels. Recently, Egis further demonstrated their commitment to Ireland by acquiring JB Barry & Partners, a long established and highly regarded civil engineering business. Together, Egis and JB Barry & Partners now form one of the largest multidisciplinary consultancy firms in Ireland. For both organisations, the acquisition will accelerate growth in the country and enable both Egis and JB Barry & Partners to better support clients in delivering important major infrastructure projects as part of Project Ireland 2040, such as smart cities, climate change programmes and

Ireland’s path to a more sustainable future is being paved by two leading engineering companies, Egis and JB Barry & Partners, as they combine forces to confront the nation’s transport and infrastructure challenges. With their shared expertise, they are striving to help create a greener and more connected Ireland.

updates and improvements to critical transport, water, and energy infrastructure.

With Egis’ 70-year track record of delivering major rail, metro, light rail, maritime, and waterway projects worldwide, coupled with its deep local knowledge of the Irish market, it is strongly positioned to support Ireland’s vision for a cleaner, greener, and more connected future.

JB Barry & Partners, founded in 1959, has a rich history in sectors such as water and wastewater, development and structures, and energy and sustainability. Its subsidiary, Barry Transportation, established in 2000, has developed significant expertise in roads, structures, and public transport. Noteworthy projects include upgrades to the iconic Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant, the largest treatment facility in the country, planning the development of the N/M20 Cork to Limerick multimodal transport corridor, and acting as contractors designer for the N22 Baile Bhuirne to Macroom Road Development, one of the largest construction projects nationally.

Building connections for communities

Egis and JB Barry & Partners have already collaborated on a number of key rail and light rail projects in Ireland, such as the Luas Green Line extension to Finglas, which includes the development of four new stops, two bridges, a park and ride facility, and adaptations to Broombridge depot. The 4km extension will create a new public transport connection that benefits communities in Charlestown, Finglas Village, Finglas West, St Helena's, Tolka Valley, and the city centre. In Cork, Egis and JB Barry are delivering the Cork Area Commuter Rail (CACR), a project that will establish a fully integrated metropolitan area rail network for the city. The CACR programme will enhance and develop over 62km of rail network from Mallow, through to Cork, Cobh, and Midleton.

Another example of their collaboration for transport planning is the Galway to Athenry railway corridor, which presents unique challenges due to the high demand for capacity improvements. Egis and JB Barry & Partners recently conducted a comprehensive feasibility study for the corridor, focusing on three main service corridors that interface with the infrastructure. The study considered the Galway InterCity, which connects Galway and Dublin, the Western Rail Corridor Line, generating traffic from Limerick/Ennis to Galway, and the Galway City Hinterland Corridor, aimed at improving railway services for commuting journeys. The study's goal was

to identify short-, medium-, and long-term capacity improvement options for Galway, considering the conclusions of previous studies and exploring new potential solutions. Looking ahead, Egis and JB Barry and Partners are actively engaged in several significant projects, particularly in the light rail, rail, public transport, active travel, and greenway sectors. Noteworthy initiatives include the Living Streets projects in Blackrock, Dún Laoghaire, and the Coast Mobility Route. These projects aim to enhance active travel facilities, promote sustainability, and encourage greater use of alternative modes of transportation in the Dublin area.

A shared mission and commitment

In addition to their successful history of collaboration, both companies have a shared mission to provide clients with environmentally conscious solutions that prioritise energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and sustainability. From eco-friendly land reclamation to reducing emissions, the environment is at the heart of every project. Together, they are committed to reducing emissions by implementing best practices for environmental management throughout their planning and operations processes. They continuously strive to improve operational efficiency, minimise resource consumption, waste generation, and emissions, while monitoring and continually improving environmental performance.

The partnership between Egis and JB Barry & Partners shows a significant step forward for sustainable infrastructure development in Ireland. Their collective expertise, innovative solutions, and commitment to environmental responsibility position both as key players in addressing the country’s infrastructure, mobility, and sustainable development challenges. Together, we are building a brighter future for Ireland—one that is both environmentally responsible and economically sound.

T: +353 1 469 1200

E: info@egis.ie

W: www.egis-projects.ie

Why Ireland’s regional airports have declined

Whilst the Irish economy has rallied since the 2008 financial crisis, one sector which remains diminished is Ireland’s regional aviation sector, with all regional airports in the State, aside from Knock, having not recovered to pre-recession traffic.

In 2008, there were six significant regional airports in the State and one in the North handling commercial passengers. However, in 2022, six of the seven regional airports in Ireland have seen significant reduction in passengers handled, with three of the airports currently not handling passenger traffic.

Through the country, this decline can be seen through the decline in overall regional traffic, with an estimated 2,013,040 passengers having passed through Ireland’s regional airports in 2008. In 2022, however, this figure dropped to 1,264,792 – a decline of 38 per cent.

The history of Irish aviation

To understand the scale of this decline, it is important to understand the development of the aviation sector in

Ireland. Until 1983, there were no motorway infrastructure in the State, leaving smaller cities and towns in Ireland relatively isolated from the economic hub in Dublin.

The importance of being linked to Dublin became more prevalent in the 1960s as then-Taoiseach Seán Lemass introduced economic reforms which led to increasing centralisation of the economy in Dublin.

In 1984, Aer Lingus – then owned by the Government – established a regional subsidiary, Aer Lingus Commuter, which was centred on increasing the connectivity to Dublin from smaller counties and from the UK. Routes operated from Dublin to all the State’s regional airports, as well as Derry in the North and various British airports.

It is furthermore important to note that,

at this stage, Aer Lingus had a monopoly on commercial air traffic in the Irish aviation sector, with Ryanair not coming into existence until the late 1980s. The formation of Ryanair –initially based at Waterford Airport – led to a new trend in the Irish aviation market, the desire for ‘no-frills’ and affordable air travel. It made aviation more accessible for sectors of the population on lower incomes and presented an economic challenge to Aer Lingus.

For decades, Aer Lingus had been able to operate on losses due to its government ownership, with the Boeing 747 having reportedly never been profitably operated by the national carrier.

As Ireland moved into the 2000s, Ryanair was experiencing a passenger boom which saw its operating model gain increasing momentum. The Fianna

A Fokker F27 at Manchester Airport in 1965. The F27 was used on short-haul services between 1958 and 1966.

Credit: RuthAS

boldly moving forward

Regional airport passengers 2008 2022

Fáil-Progressive Democrat coalition decided that the most commercially viable path for Aer Lingus to compete with this challenge from its low-cost competitor was to privatise the airline, with the Government selling a majority of its shares in the national carrier in 2006.

Aer Arann and the PSO scheme

As Aer Lingus adapted to the market challenges presented by the emergence of Ryanair, a small, island-based airline, serving the Oileáin Árann with a single Britten Norman Islander, saw a gap in the market which could be exploited by the increasing commercialisation of Aer Lingus.

Aer Lingus Commuter was discontinued in 2001, but in the 1990s it had already been refocused on profitability, meaning that the regional routes had already largely created amid new focus now on connecting Dublin with air routes in Britain.

With this decline in Aer Lingus traffic, Pádraig Ó Céidigh and Eugene O’Kelly, who purchased Aer Arann Islands in 1994, subsequently re-naming it Aer Arann, saw the potential with the use of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) scheme for a dedicated airline which connected Dublin with the regional airports of Ireland, as well as the benefits of enhanced connectivity from opposite ends of the island, resulting in commercial routes such as that between Cork and Belfast.

Ó Céidigh and O'Kelly began to expand the airline's routes and fleet, launching

scheduled services in 1998. Also in 1998, the Government awarded the airline the PSO route between Donegal Airport and Dublin Airport followed by the PSO route between Sligo Airport and Dublin. By 2007, the success was such that Aer Arann had a turnover of €100 million and passenger numbers in excess of 1.15 million.

Recession and decline

In 2008, as Ireland entered the first year of what would become a crippling recession, Aer Arann and the wider aviation sector were forced to adapt to their new economic circumstances. Commercially unviable routes were scrapped, and the regional airports were arguably regarded by government as an acceptable casualty, as the austerity governments led by Brian Cowen and Enda Kenny reduced the funding for the PSO scheme.

The lack of commercial traffic meant that Galway Airport, which once handled more than 300,000 passengers and served 16 destinations, is now closed, having had no commercial traffic since 2011. This trend was mirrored in Waterford and Sligo, with both airports having also seen little to no commercial traffic since 2011. Whilst once all regional airports were connected to Dublin, now Kerry and Donegal are the only airports which maintain a connection to Dublin. Aer Arann, and its successor, Stobart Air, are now defunct organisations, with Aer Lingus Regional focusing on routes connecting Dublin and Belfast with cities in Britain.

Future amid climate commitments

Hope exists in that Waterford Airport is undergoing a runway extension which will allow it to accommodate larger aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737, meaning that it could emerge as a viable international airport for the south-east region. Additionally, the Kerry-Dublin route now operates on a commercially viable basis and does not require the PSO scheme for profitability, leaving the Dublin-Donegal route as the only PSO-subsidised route. Transport Minister Eamon Ryan TD has outlined his vision of an Irish transport system which increases connectivity whilst reducing emissions, with the transport sector committed to reducing its emissions by 20 per cent by 2030. Whilst studies are underway to determine the viability of biofuels such as green hydrogen for the aviation sector of the future, reducing the amount of travel is a key component of reducing emissions under Ryan’s model. Considering this, and the upcoming legislation in the French Republic aimed at banning a number of regional flights, it is unlikely that Ireland’s regional aviation sector will recover to its previous heights in the mid-2000s, although given that there is inadequate rail connection between Dublin, and Kerry and Donegal respectively, it is likely that these routes to Dublin will remain in the short to medium term.

Waterford Sligo Galw ay D onegal Knoc k D erry

Source: CSO

Delivering record public transport growth nationwide

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we could not have anticipated that within 12 months of the full lifting of restrictions on public transport Bus Éireann would experience a remarkable surge in passenger demand on most routes.

We facilitated 89.5 million passenger journeys in 2022, up 56 per cent on 2021 but a new trajectory in passenger demand became evident from summer 2022. Currently demand across our city services in Cork, Galway, Limerick, and

Waterford is more than 20 per cent ahead of the same period in 2019. Town services in Athlone, Balbriggan, Drogheda, Dundalk, Navan, and Sligo are running 60 per cent ahead of prepandemic and despite the persistence of remote and hybrid working, our Greater Dublin Area services are carrying about 30 per cent more people than they did in 2019. This is the largest and fastest step change in passenger numbers ever experienced by the company and we

anticipate it accelerating, with the NTA looking to Bus Éireann to bring in over 50 per cent more bus services through BusConnects in Cork, Limerick, and Galway. This is an exciting transformation in bus public transport and means change throughout the organisation, focusing now on driver recruitment and expanding depot capacity.

Through the NTA’s Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, we have expanded services to 70 communities in recent months with new and more frequent services in the south-west, north-east, and midlands.

School transport is a State service that positively impacts families of 150,000 children, reducing car journeys, congestion, and enabling economic participation. The Government decision to waive school transport fees for the

The flexibility of bus public transport has been to the fore in post-pandemic recovery, writes Stephen Kent, Chief Executive Officer, Bus Éireann.

Minister Eamon Ryan TD checks the charging facilities at the launch of Ireland’s first all-electric town bus service at Athlone bus station. Bus Éireann CEO Stephen Kent, Chairperson Miriam Hughes, and Eoin Gillard Head of Public Transport Investment at the National Transport Authority watch on.

academic year 2022/23 was also transformative, triggering exceptional demand for services, up circa 25 per cent on 2021/2022. Bus Éireann operates the scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and 90 per cent of the services are delivered by local contractors. Despite a very challenging environment to source additional capacity and contractors, expanding the scheme by 25 per cent within a matter of weeks was achieved.

Many of the routes on our commercial operation, Expressway, have returned to pre-pandemic passenger numbers and those serving Dublin Airport are ahead. A small number need continued revenue growth to stay ahead of the cost growth which has prevailed post-pandemic. Expressway was vital in providing connectivity to many communities during the pandemic, while other commercial operators had suspended services.

A better customer experience

Not only are passenger numbers on many routes way ahead of prepandemic levels, but we have managed this increase while offering an improving customer experience. Our independently assessed customer satisfaction rating is now 92 per cent, up from 84 per cent in 2019. Our customers cited greater reliability, the friendliness and presentation of our drivers, safety, the cleanliness and improved environmental impact of newer fleet and better value for money as key factors.

The improvement in value perception can be credited to the Government decision in 2022 to reduce fares by 20 per cent and by 50 per cent for young adults on our public service obligation routes, operated under contract to the NTA. This decision was taken as a costof-living measure but has also been an effective stimulus to promote increased public transport usage, supporting national climate action targets. New fleet procured by the NTA is also offering a better journey experience and our drivers have become increasingly customer focused, delivering exceptional care to their passengers.

A more sustainable journey

Bus Éireann’s sustainability strategy was published in 2021. The business is committed to the transition urgently demanded to address the climate change crisis.

More than 10 per cent of our public service obligation road passenger fleet are low or zero emission vehicles. This has helped us achieve >20 per cent improvement in our company energy consumption, beginning our just transition to halving our carbon emissions by 2030.

We were proud to convert the Athlone town service to an entirely electric vehicle operation, Ireland’s first zero emission bus town network. This entailed a huge commitment by the entire Bus Éireann team. The openness demonstrated by our craftworkers and drivers as they embraced new technologies was impressive, and augurs well for transitions underway for Limerick, Cork, and Galway.

Working with the NTA, the pathway to electrification for our urban fleet is clear, though challenges remain in speed of implementation. However, this is less evident for the school transport service and our 14 Expressway interregional routes. We continue to work with our stakeholders and manufacturers to determine solutions.

Our two years’ experience with Ireland’s only hydrogen buses has been very positive. The Government’s hydrogen strategy will set the context for the necessary infrastructure investment before this option becomes practical for longer-distance routes. With longer range and short fuelling time, hydrogen is currently the only zero emission alternative for longer distances, for example from Derry to Galway and between Letterkenny and Dublin.

We are also improving the energy efficiency of our facilities, having built a

near zero energy building at our Limerick depot. We are working on energy audits and measures right throughout our building stock.

Confidence in growth

Bus Éireann is proud to partner with the Departments of Transport and Education and with the NTA to deliver on national policy across increasing public transport usage, reducing car dependency and assisting Ireland in meeting its climate change objectives.

Our experience of emerging from the pandemic runs counter to many of the expectations for public transport recovery both in Ireland and internationally.

Bus Éireann’s performance highlights that people are ready and willing to adopt bus public transport when services are improved. It shows how quickly new routes and enhancements can be made operational. It also demonstrates that there is a solid and improving bus network outside of Dublin city. And perhaps most importantly of all, it shows that customers are overwhelmingly satisfied with their journeys. This experience should increase confidence that comparatively modest investment in bus public transport will be more than repaid, transformative, and make a positive difference in the daily lives of people living in Ireland.

W: www.expressway.ie

Stephen Kent, Bus Éireann CEO, Tomás Sercovich, Business in the Community CEO, craftworker Ahmed Daidi, and bus driver Anamaria Bobaila celebrate achieving the Business Working Responsibly mark.

TII unveils new transport emissions modelling

development of Transport Infrastructure Ireland’s (TII) Road Emissions Model (REM), published in December 2022.

Transport as a sector is a non-point source of air pollution, having contributed 20 per cent of Irish greenhouse gases in 2021. However, complicating matters of the modelling of transport emissions is the fact that emissions and pollutants differ for different fuel types, vehicle types and weight, and vehicle engine size. The speed at which a vehicle travels, as a proportion of the overall distance of a given trip, is used to determine the efficiency of its fuel use and thus the levels of emissions per kilometre travelled.

Further complications in understanding a given vehicle’s emissions arise from the rate at which engine catalyst or diesel particulate filter (DPF) failures occur, as well as differences in emissions when vehicles are operating on congested roads in and around towns and cities when compared to the same vehicles operating on open roads or in free-flow

conditions. An example of this can be seen in the statistics for the National Roads Network; 45 per cent of vehiclekilometres travelled in Ireland annually are on the network, while the emissions resulting from driving on the network makes up roughly 30 per cent of total transport emissions.

Exhaust emissions from vehicles with internal combustion engines also contain a variety of pollutants, most commonly carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), volatile organic compounds, and very small particulate matter (less than 10 and 2.5 micrometres, known as PM10 and PM2.5, respectively).

As an answer to these multiple concerns, TII “undertakes research on air quality, primarily through a stakeholder alliance with government departments and agencies, academic

institutions, and industry partners”, a process through which it says it has “amassed a considerable evidence base and continue to develop tools underpinned by data driven analysis”.

Using the tools at its disposal, TII has formulated the REM, which “provides a spatial and temporal estimate of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions and the pollutant concentrations resulting from vehicular use on the National Roads Network”. The REM integrates four major components:

• traffic information from the TII National Transport Model, which “provides validated estimates of the volumes of light and heavy vehicles, and the speed at which they travel, on the National Roads Network”;

• a fleet mix database that has been developed by researchers at University College Cork, which is

Crucial to accurately accounting for emissions reductions as Ireland seeks to reduce transport emissions by 51 per cent by 2030 will be the modelling used, leading to the

boldly moving forward

based on economic projections and underpinned by Central Statistics Office goods vehicles registration data;

• an emission rate database derived from the European Environment Agency’s COPERT Emissions Tool, which is used as the EU industry standard, with further adjustment using data published by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and

• an ambient air quality model module that calculates pollutants such as NOx, NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 as they are released from each individual road link using predictions of atmospheric pollutants concentration and dispersion, scaled up to calculate an annual average concentration.

The tool will use appropriate traffic data in order to inform policy through “testing air quality and emissions impacts arising from interventions on the National Road Network and/or the national fleet”. An example proffered by the TII in its report explaining the REM, is one where “the potential impact of modal shift or increased low emission vehicles can be tested on a national or regional basis to help meet climate targets”. TII suggests that the REM could be used as a tool on a local scale to target specific road links for measures such as congestion reduction initiatives. The REM will also provide source apportionment

information to determine the contribution of different vehicles to emission estimates.

Among the benefits that TII cites as arising from the use of the REM will be the provision of a “robust and transparent” estimation process that will inform targeted investment in interventions on sections of the National Roads Network, while being able to differentiate the emission effects of vehicles based on type and speed travelled, and the calculation of emissions between individual road links, which should act as an improvement on the previous method, which averaged carbon dioxide equivalent emissions over long distances.

The REM will allow governments and local authorities to monitor and manage the risk the State faces in regard to EU air quality limits and the possibility of exceeding them, specifically with a view to ensuring that new projects do not cause the exceedance of EU standards for ambient air quality. TII also states that the REM can contribute to the Government’s carbon accounting, carbon budgeting, and progress towards emission reduction targets. At the local level, the REM will allow local authorities to “determine the emissions contribution of different vehicle types on individual links, corridors, or regions, e.g., emissions from HGV on specific roads in rural and urban settings and at different speeds”, allowing the authorities to “appraise the emissions

change that could be achieved by altering traffic flows or fleet breakdown; e.g., increasing adoption of electric cars”.

The tool, TII notes, can be used with any transport modelling system in order to generate estimates of traffic flows and speed. The REM has been integrated into TII’s national model, with TII encouraging its use for specific schemes using local models.

M1 Toll Credit: Joachim Kohler Bremen.

Delivering mobility in the digital age

Alstom is a truly global leader in the transportation sector, in the digital age. From high-speed trains, metros, monorails, trams, to turnkey systems, services, infrastructure, signalling, and digital mobility, and with 80,000 employees from 175 nationalities in 63 countries, Alstom is the largest mobility provider outside China.

But it is here in Ireland, where the Government is setting the global pace with the hugely impressive Climate Action Plan, that Alstom is able to demonstrate its role as pioneer of sustainable and smart mobility with a full portfolio of green mobility solutions. Alstom’s clear ambition is to help Ireland deliver the Climate Action Plan in Dublin, Cork, and across the country.

Alstom has a well-established, highly successful presence in Ireland and is its largest single mobility supplier. First delivered in 2003, Alstom’s market leading Citadis™ trams have been operating successfully across both Red and Green lines of the famous Luas network, bringing sustainable mobility and passenger comfort to the streets of Dublin. More than 2,600 Citadis

tramsets have been sold to over 50 cities in five continents, but it is in Ireland that the longest Citadis vehicles are in operation – 55m long. As part of a partnership with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) eight new 55m tram units were delivered in 2020 and a further 26 existing tram units have been extended to the same length. The trams are all manufactured in La Rochelle and assembled in Transdev's Sandyford depot.

But it was in 2021 that a landmark was reached in Alstom’s partnership with Ireland. Alstom signed a 10-year framework agreement with Iarnród Éireann for up to 750 new electric and battery-electric’ X’trapolis™ commuter

rail cars for Ireland’s DART network, with firm orders for 37 five-car X’trapolis trains including a 15-year support services contract. The most sustainable fleet ever ordered in Ireland, 31 of the ordered trains are battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs) while six are electric multiple units (EMUs). The new trains will deliver more capacity to greater Dublin.

Commenting at the signing ceremony at Irish Rail’s Inchicore works in Dublin, Alstom Managing Director, UK and Ireland, Nick Crossfield said: “Alstom is delighted to have been selected to deliver the new DART+ fleet. Ireland is a very important market to us, and the new electric and battery electric X’trapolis fleet is a big step for making rail even more sustainable while transforming the passenger experience in the greater Dublin area and beyond. This order reinforces Alstom’s position as the world’s leading innovator and supplier of green mobility technologies.”

In March 2023, Alstom and Iarnród Éireann were able to show the Irish public their new DART+ train in the flesh by unveiling a 1:1 scale mock-up carriage in the presence of Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD. The trains clearly demonstrate Iarnród Éireann’s intention to move quickly to decarbonise

the commuter network in greater Dublin, Ireland's most populous suburban area. The mock-up carriage gave the assembled audience a firm indication of what greater Dublin’s new DART+ trains would deliver for its passengers.

Ireland is once again showing the way by using battery technology on the DART network. Battery technology is particularly well suited to fill gaps on routes that are electrified with overhead catenary, or to allow for the introduction of new fleets while electrification is extended, exactly as is the case with DART.

The race to decarbonise transport involves the younger generation too. A new Children’s Interpretative Centre giving visitors a chance to see what it is like to drive a life-sized Iarnród Éireann train was launched on 9 May, 2023, at the Casino Model Railway Museum in Malahide, a collaboration between Fingal County Council, Iarnród Éireann, and Alstom. At the event, Managing Director of Alstom Ireland, Piers Wood commented: “Alstom is committed to supporting Ireland’s determined journey

towards achieving net zero emissions. Helping children develop their knowledge of the railway and its benefits to the environment, is an important part of that journey. We are pleased to be supporting Fingal County Council and Iarnród Éireann with this impressive educational exhibit.”

What of the future? Front and centre is tackling the climate emergency where rail has a key role to play. For example, Dublin requires its bus and commuter rail fleet to be 100 per cent electric and zero-emission by 2035. In Ireland the transport sector must meet its sectoral emissions ceiling and contribute to the delivery of a 51 per cent cut in economy-wide emissions by 2030.

To help meet this challenge, Alstom has delivered electric trams to the Dublin Luas, is delivering EMUs and BEMUs for DART+ and in future hopes to provide trains to Ireland powered by hydrogen too. On longer, and less intensely trafficked routes, hydrogen fuel cells provide a viable, zero emission, and cost-effective alternative to the capital costs of electrification.

In 2016, Alstom was the first company worldwide to introduce a new train based on hydrogen fuel cells and the train, Coradia iLint, is now in regular passenger service. Alstom has the ambitious goal of using this technology to replace a large part of the current market for diesel trains in Europe. Alstom’s ability to offer electric, battery, and hydrogen capability means they are uniquely placed to play their part. But sustainable mobility only works when it delivers for its users. Passengers rightly expect reliability, speed, and comfort. Partnering with our friends at Iarnród Éireann, NTA, and TII it is our job to deliver just that.

Kathryn Lancaster

T: +44 7801 798936

W: www.alstom.com

“Alstom is delighted to have been selected to deliver the new DART+ fleet. Ireland is a very important market to us, and the new electric and battery electric X’trapolis fleet is a big step for making rail even more sustainable while transforming the passenger experience in the greater Dublin area and beyond.”

Congestion reduction targeted in new National Demand Management Strategy

The formulation of the National Demand Strategy, which is named as a key action within Climate Action Plan 2023, is expected to take one year to complete and will “involve widespread public consultation to engage and inform citizens of the transformative changes that are already taking place to improve and enhance public transport”. The main goal of the strategy is a 20 per cent reduction in vehicle kilometres travelled by 2030, as outlined in the Climate Action Plan.

Demand management measures being considered for the development of the strategy include the reallocation of road space, the creation of car-free zones, and road user charging. The Government states that it “fully recognises” that these measures “will only be effective and equitable when alternative, public transport options are readily available, both in urban and rural areas”.

In his memorandum to the Government, Minister for Transport Ryan outlined his intention to establish an interdepartmental and inter-agency group that will steer the development of the strategy. A cities-first approach will be taken towards the development of the strategy, meaning that the priority of the steering group will be reducing congestion in cities and towns first, with a number of sup-groups within the steering group to also be organised, including one that will consider the impact of the strategy on rural communities.

The Demand Management Strategy will be developed in the context of the Government’s drive to halve transport emissions by 2030, a process which will include the rolling out of incentives and investment to support the transition to electric vehicles in order to reach the goal of almost one million EVs on Irish

roads by 2030, increased penetration of biofuels in the fuel-mix, and “unprecedented” levels of funding in active and public transport.

Speaking after delivering his memorandum to the Government, Minister Ryan stated: “Demand management in transport is all about improving the efficiency of the existing transportation system, by reducing travel demand rather than increasing capacity. Our transport system at the moment is overly dependent on cars which is leading to daily traffic chaos and lower quality of life, particularly in our cities. As our population grows, these pressures are only going to increase unless we intervene now to reduce our reliance on cars and put in place the systems and road space needed for people to choose quality public transport or active travel.”

The reduction of congestion, improvement of air quality, and provision of more and safer space for public and active transport will take precedence in the development of the National Demand Management Strategy, a Memorandum of Information from Minister Eamon Ryan TD has outlined.

A car-free zone in Turku, Finland; an example of a possible measure to be taken in Ireland.

Covid’s impact on transport laid bare

The Department of Transport’s latest annual report demonstrates the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the transport sector.

Published in April 2023, the report offers a comprehensive analysis on the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Irish transport sector, including the supply chain disruptions which have been viewed as a catalyst to the inflation crisis still engulfing the Irish economy.

Economic experts such as Richard Wilding, professor of supply chain strategy at the UK’s Cranfield School of Management, have pointed to the ongoing global inflation crisis as having been rooted in the supply chain crisis which was caused by the disruption to the transport sector during the Covid pandemic.

The Department’s annual report demonstrates the impact the sector faced from the pandemic. “Within the aviation sector, cargo-only flights continued to operate but the grounding of the majority of scheduled passenger services, with the consequential loss of bellyhold capacity, had a significant impact on the price of air cargo,” the report states.

It further explains: “In the road haulage sector, the demand for use of the UK ‘land bridge’ for accessing EU markets fell considerably as a result of Brexit. This drove a simultaneous decline in Ireland-GB traffic and an increase in

direct Ireland-EU traffic. However, land borders across the EU remained fully open and no delays, outside of the norm, were generally experienced.”

In the first half of 2021, the Government’s ‘living with Covid’ policy was operational, which resticted use of public transport and added additional cleaning procedures. The report explains how usership increased as the year progressed. “Daily passenger numbers across the Irish public transport network fluctuated significantly throughout the year, due to the capacity restrictions of 25 per cent, 50 per cent and 75 per cent in place at various times during the course of 2021. With the return to 100 per cent capacity in September 2021, passenger numbers rebounded positively from the lows of 10 per cent of pre-Covid levels experienced in 2020,” the report says.

Following the lockdowns in place throughout the State during the winter period of 2020, the report adds how “car traffic volumes through January and February 2021 reduced to approximately 50 per cent of pre-

boldly moving forward

Covid-19 levels with a progressive return to approximately 100 per cent of normal traffic by September, continuing at this level through to December”.

“However, commercial traffic continued to operate at close to pre-Covid-19 levels throughout 2021 – pointing to the strength of economic activity throughout the year.”

Climate and adaption

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD has previously outlined to eolas Magazine the “four pillars” of sustainable transport which he believes should be promoted and planned for by his department.

These four pillars are: the transition away from petrolium products, shifting reliance from private car-based transport modes, reducing the volume of transport, and increasing shared transport.

This model is in the context of the Climate Action Plan and the need to reduce emissions from the transport sector, with the sector accounting for 20 per cent of CO2 emissions in Ireland.

Climate Action Plan 2021 (CAP21) –which sets out the objectives of the Climate and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 – was published in November 2021. CAP21 aims to guide the transport sector to a 51 per cent emissions reduction in transport by 2030 by:

• enabling 500,000 daily sustainable travel journeys by 2030 through major public transport projects such as BusConnects and Connecting Ireland; the expansion of rail services, and cycling and walking infrastructure;

• increasing the use of biofuels in transport;

• expanding electrification of bus and rail fleets with 1,500 electric buses by 2030;

• increasing the number of EVs to circa one million by 2030; and

• updating the public transport and public fleets to low-emission alternatives.

Amid this backdrop, the report states that the Department “continued to

Land transport expenditure 2021

progress implementation of the actions set out within the Sectoral Plan for Adaptation of Transport Infrastructure within the National Adaptation Framework, which are also reflected in the Climate Action Plan 2021”.

The report states that there were 47,700 EVs on Irish roads at the end of 2021, and the Department aims to grow usage by the EV grant scheme. The report further acknowledges the use of hydrogen and remodelling of the public sector fleet, although in 2021 these were at earlier stages than now in 2023.

Commenting on the report, Minister Eamon Ryan TD said that there had been “significant progress made towards achieving the commitments as set out in the Programme for Government”.

The annual report is the Department’s first annual report since the publication of its Statement of Strategy 2021-2023. The statement of strategy outlines a vision for transport in Ireland which is for “the people and places of Ireland, sustainably connected with each other and the world”.

The statement of strategy further outlines the mission of the Department of Transport to “deliver an accessible, efficient, safe, and sustainable transport system that supports communities, households and businesses”.

On the financial side, during 2021, 3,801 transactions were processed by the Department in 296 payment runs. 95.19 per cent of those were paid within the 15day prompt payment legislation and 99.82 per cent of those were processed within the 30-day deadline.

Source: Department of Transport

Transport Ireland® 2023

A transport system for Ireland’s net zero future

Tuesday 27 June 2023 • Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin

Transport Ireland®, now in its sixteenth year, has firmly established itself as the annual conference event for the transport sector in Ireland. The 2023 conference, taking place in the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel on Tuesday 27 June, will bring together key players from across Ireland, to focus on the important challenges and opportunities facing transport policymakers and senior managers in the sector as it seeks to transform the transport system for Ireland’s net zero future.

Speakers confirmed include:

An expert panel of local and visiting speakers will discuss issues including;

• Transport policy and legislative priorities

• Creating an Irish transport system that works for people and the planet

• Redesigning Ireland’s Transport for Net Zero

• Accelerating active travel uptake in Ireland

• Futureproofing Ireland’s critical transport infrastructure

Eamon Ryan TD Minister for Transport Department of Transport

Derval Cummins Director, Transportation Consulting, AECOM

Chris Conway Group Chief Executive Translink

Jim Meade Chief Executive Iarnród Éireann

Anne Graham Chief Executive National Transport Authority

Peter Walsh CEO, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)

Paddy Comyn Head of Communications AA Ireland

Billy Hann CEO Dublin Bus

Sponsored by

Aimée Aguilar Jaber Mitigation Team Leader, Environment Directorate OECD

Jackie Keaney Commercial Director Indaver Ireland

Stephen Kent CEO, Bus Éireann

Mark Rocky Business Development Director – Europe Indra

An eolas event

Future of policing report

Sponsored by

Justice Minister Helen McEntee TD: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD looks ahead to the enactment of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023 and outlines how the legislation will seek transform the governance and oversight of An Garda Síochána while bolstering community policing.

In 2022, I had the privilege of being involved in An Garda Síochána’s centenary celebrations. At each of the events I attended the pride that members and staff have for the organisation’s achievements over the past 100 years was palpable.

While there have been many significant moments throughout this country’s history that have called on the organisation to demonstrate its ability to adapt to challenging situations, there is one element that has remained at the core of An Garda Síochána; that is its deep-rooted connection to community policing.

The relationships gardaí have developed with the communities they serve and protect have been vital in ensuring they can deliver on their ethos of policing with consent, even in the most challenging of circumstances. While the centenary offered

us all a moment to reflect and mark the successes of An Garda Síochána, it also offered an opportunity to look to the future of the organisation as it evolves to respond effectively and appropriately to the needs of our changing society.

As a country we have experienced massive change and development over the last century. The policing needs of the country have changed in line with those developments. On the one hand, criminality has developed, with technology playing a massive role, and we must ensure that An Garda Síochána have the tools and technology to fight criminality and keep us safe in a modern word. On the other hand, the policing needs of communities have also developed as demographics shift.

Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023

To meet this change, the Policing, Security and Community Safety (PSCS) Bill will completely overhaul the governance and oversight of An Garda Síochána while still preserving that important component of community engagement and trust – which has always been at the forefront of the work that gardaí carry out.

There are several complementary reforms currently under way, including the Garda Commissioner’s ongoing rollout of the new Garda Operating Model with its focus on community policing. The new Operating Model further embeds the ethos of community policing which has always been the strength of An Garda Síochána. This was rightly at the centre of the centenary celebrations last year.

That is why I believe we should always keep sight of the main benefit of these reforms: ensuring there are more Gardaí on frontline duties in communities.

Under the PSCS Bill, the Policing and Community Safety Authority will merge the broad-ranging oversight functions of the existing Policing Authority and the inspection functions of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate, superseding both bodies and reducing the number of oversight bodies by one. It will oversee and assess in an independent and transparent manner the performance of An Garda Síochána in relation to policing services but with the benefit of an in-house empowered inspection function.

The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSCO) will also undergo substantial restructuring. I believe that there is a need for more efficient and effective GSOC investigation processes. That is why a key objective of the new Bill is to improve the complaints handling and investigation systems of GSOC.

Future of policing

department informed of significant matters, and to account to the Minister and Government for policing and security matters.

Another feature of the Bill is the establishment of an Independent Examiner of Security Legislation. This is a significant development in enhancing the national security infrastructure, providing an independent review of security legislation to ensure that it is effective and contains sufficient safeguards for the protection of human rights, the operation of such legislation and the examination of the delivery of security services.

At the heart of the Bill is a new approach as to how we as citizens can and should be involved in keeping our communities safe. Gardaí have always strived to develop and maintain positive relations with all the people they serve. But in recognition that community safety is not solely the responsibility of An Garda Síochána, or my department alone, the Bill provides for new structures for community safety including the rollout of local community safety partnerships across

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD

While the external oversight of an organisation with a remit such as An Garda Síochána is important, it is imperative that the Garda Commissioner has the power and scope to operate in a manner that enables swift, effective policing. The PSCS Bill will make explicit, for the first time, the Commissioner’s operational independence.

The Bill also strengthens internal governance of An Garda Síochána through the establishment of a nonexecutive Garda Board, to which the Commissioner will be accountable. The Bill will not diminish the relationship with the Minister for Justice, and the Commissioner will still report to the Minister. The Commissioner will continue to be required to keep the Minister of the day and the Secretary General of my

the country. These partnerships will provide a forum for State agencies and local community representatives to work together to act on community concerns and will shape the overall response to criminal activity and community safety in each locality. All community safety partnerships will produce their own unique, targeted community safety plan and will be supported in its successful implementation.

As Minister for Justice, I look forward to the forthcoming enactment of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill, driven by the need to modernise our policing structures so that we as a society and country can benefit from another 100 years of successful, transparent, and proactive policing.

“I look forward to the forthcoming enactment of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill, driven by the need to modernise our policing structures.”

Striving for even greater gender diversity

Team, 10 of 18 are women. It is a dynamic, effective and collaborative team.”

This is why it was especially noteworthy that this year An Garda Síochána was welcomed as the 300th member of the 30 Per Cent Club’s Irish Chapter.

The 30 Per Cent Club supports the achievement of a minimum of 30 per cent gender balance at all senior decision-making levels in companies/organisations nationwide.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris says: “For me, it is important when future generations look back on this next phase in our history, they see an organisation that not only strived for equality, but also delivered. As of March 2023, there are more than 6,000 female personnel working right across An Garda Síochána.

“Women make up 30 per cent of all serving police officers, putting us above the European average in terms of female representation within police services. Meanwhile, women account for more than 70 per cent of all Garda staff. We can be proud too of the fact that more women hold senior leadership roles in An Garda Síochána than ever before.”

An Garda Síochána’s two deputy commissioners are women, and women now make up more than half of the Garda Senior Leadership Team. With such a considerable number of women excelling in senior positions, it is reflective of the marked improvements that have been made to address the gender balance within An Garda Síochána. So much so, that An Garda Síochána is now looked at internationally as a measure of what can be achieved.

This is a point recognised by Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon, who joined An Garda Síochána from Toronto Police. Deputy Commissioner Coxon notes: “There are more than double the number of women in policing here than in Canada and I have observed wonderful support and encouragement between women in An Garda Síochána.

“At present at the top three levels of sworn members in An Garda Síochána (Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners), six of the 11 positions are held by women. When you include the seven executive staff members of the Senior Leadership

She adds: “I am acutely aware of the sacrifices of the many women who have come before me and I am grateful that they bravely stepped out. Their actions allow me to be here today. I hope my actions now will create new opportunities for others in the years to come”.

Leaders in the organisation have also highlighted the key role they play in encouraging women to aspire to similar leadership positions.

Eimear Bourke, Executive Director of Strategy and Transformation says:

“Since I joined An Garda Síochána, I have been delighted and truly inspired by the professionalism, openness, collaboration, and support offered to me by people right across the organisation. I am a firm believer in the adage, ‘if you can see it – you can be it’.”

She highlights that in recent years, An Garda Síochána has made significant strides in creating a more diverse and inclusive organisation.

“An Garda Síochána’s inclusion in the 30 Per Cent Club is a recent example of this. While everyone has a role to play in promoting greater diversity and inclusiveness – a key part of our role as senior leaders in An Garda Síochána is to provide the opportunities and environment where women feel supported and encouraged to achieve their full potential.”

For An Garda Síochána, enhancing its gender diversity has been a key part of its cultural change and organisational transformation programme.

Among Garda staff, women make up approximately 50 per cent of all Executive Director, Principal Officer, Assistant Principal, Higher Executive Officer, and Executive officer roles, while women make up 75 per cent of its clerical officer grades.

Kate Mulkerrins, Executive Director Legal, notes that since she joined in 2017, she has seen a trebling of female participation on the senior leadership team.

“This ‘extraordinary’ level of female participation is matched by the increasing levels of female sworn membership which is nearly one-inthree, a very significant proportion by international standards, and an overwhelming percentage of female participation at all grades of Garda staff.

“Gender is of course only one strand of diversity, but it is a very important indicator of inclusivity and equality. In my experience equality in one area begets equality in others. The challenge now is to similarly expand all strands of ‘equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)’ in our workforce, eliminating discrimination, ensuring equality of opportunity and treatment of all persons who work within An Garda Síochána and in the treatment of all the communities served by An Garda Síochána.”

An Garda Síochána has developed an EDI strategy to work towards these goals.

The first step for women in An Garda Síochána was made in July 1959 when the first female Gardaí presented for duty at Pearse and Store Street Garda Stations.

While it was first envisioned that their role would be confined to dealing with the victims of sexual and domestic crime, these women aspired to do more. Their career path may have been windy and full of ups and downs, but it paved the way for other women.

Deputy Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon has the following guiding words to those women contemplating a career with An Garda Síochána.

“My advice would be to go for it. It is a very fulfilling career, there are lots of opportunities to diversify and there is a huge variety of day-to-day roles. It is not without its testing times but that’s what makes it all the more worthwhile.

“I am passionate about An Garda Síochána and the important role we play

in society in terms of keeping people safe and I am honoured and privileged to hold the rank of Deputy Commissioner in an organisation dedicated to serving the people of Ireland.”

Meanwhile Assistant Commissioner Southern Region Eileen Foster says improved representation is to be celebrated.

“The trailblazing previous women at the senior leadership table have instilled the confidence for myself and my female colleagues to know we are experienced, contributing members of the senior leadership team who bring our perspectives in conjunction with that of our male colleagues to ensure a collective all-encompassing view of policing at management level.

“I hope that in my role, I continue the tradition of women inspiring women to believe in themselves.”

While An Garda Síochána is proud to say it ranks above the European average in terms of female representation within police services, there is still more that it wishes to achieve in this area.

Commissioner Harris notes: “Across the

board gender balance is improving but there is always progress to be made.”

An Garda Síochána has established its own Women's Network in recent years, which provides critical opportunities for training, mentoring, collaboration and networking among colleagues.

It continues to encourage more women, and women from diverse backgrounds, to join An Garda Síochána.

It recognises too that being more reflective of the diverse and inclusive society it serves will enhance its ability to provide an effective police service for all people.

W: www.garda.ie

“My advice would be to go for it. It is a very fulfilling career, there are lots of opportunities to diversify and there is a huge variety of day-to-day roles.”

An Garda Síochána Deputy Commissioner Anne Marie McMahon

Garda CIO Andrew O’Sullivan: Information led policing

Digitalisation in society has led to an explosive growth in data, both in terms of volume and complexity. From a policing perspective, has two key implications.

Firstly, the evolving expectations of citizens in relation to interactions with police, access to information, and transparency. Secondly, the increased availability of digital tools to criminals who are changing the ways in which they operate.

“Increasingly, it is much lower risk to engage in cybercrime than break into a house. If you scale that up, organised criminal gangs at the very top end are operating akin to software vendors.

“As such, we are now observing crimeas-a-service whereby smaller, local criminals will engage with an organised criminal gangs which will, in turn, outsource or offshore to a less than reputable software organisation, which will then provide them with scam tools and techniques.”

Digital evidence

Reiterating what the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau previously told eolas Magazine, the CIO emphasises the reality that every single major investigation now has a digital component.

“Digital evidence, therefore, is a core

aspect of policing. It has changed dramatically from a few hours of CCTV footage 10 years ago, to thousands of hours and in major investigations, it could be tens of thousands of hours of video footage. Likewise, it has changed from one or two text messages on a phone several years ago, to tens of thousands of emails and hundreds of thousands of images on an individual device,” he says.

“Policing must have access to electronic tools to be effective in dealing with the increasing volume of data. However, the first thing to understand is how we define digital because digital and electronic are not the same thing. Digitalisation is the combination, or a blending of the

Where society goes, crime goes, and where crime goes, policing must follow. In the context of the increasing digitalisation of society, Ciarán Galway sits down with CIO Andrew O’Sullivan at Garda Headquarters to discuss digital innovation and Information Led Policing.

Future of policing

electronic world with the physical world,” the Garda CIO explains.

Computer-in-the-loop

Elaborating, O’Sullivan comments on the ineffectiveness of electronic tools in the absence of training, tradecraft, empathy, common-sense and a human rightsbased approach to policing. “Our digital policing strategy is about achieving the right blend of the electronic world and the physical world,” he says, adding: “While ‘human-in-the-loop’ is a term used in computing to describe oversight of automated decisions, An Garda Síochána’s systems have taken that one step further.

“We use the term ‘computer-in-the-loop’ for decision-making. The computer is there only to support Garda personnel making decisions. This means that no machine ever makes a decision that could adversely impact an individual.”

Illustrating this, O’Sullivan references the GoSafe vans or automated speed detection. Contrary to popular belief, it is not an automated process. While GoSafe cameras detect and identify a potential speeding offence, that is then scrutinised by several pairs of human eyes before a sanction is issued.

Similarly, while the Garda vetting system now processes 500,000 applications each year, the decision support system used is limited to making suggestions to vetting agents that something may need to be examined before making a final decision.

“This human accountability is critical for maintaining exceptionally high public trust in An Garda Síochána. There is absolutely no question of machine decision-making. Rather, it is about supporting decision-making by accountable Garda personnel,” the CIO insists.

Data and technology branch

In response to digitalisation, An Garda Síochána has invested significantly in the expansion of its data and technology branch.

Headed up by the CIO, the branch employs approximately 1,000 staff across six enabling resources:

1. Garda Information Services Centre (GISC)

2. Information and Communications Technology

3. Data Architecture

4. Garda Síochána Analysis Service (GSAS)

5. National Data Protection Office including the Freedom of Information Office

6. Garda National Vetting Bureau

“We have invested heavily in the skills of our people over the last couple of years, both through internal training and education, focusing on the professional development of our data and technology professionals. We have also expanded from three principal officers to 13 plus one Director of ICT with recruitment for a GSAS Director to begin shortly. That investment and growth is going to continue,” O’Sullivan outlines.

Seeking to emulate vendors in the software industry in terms of adopting similar principles, practices, and career structures, the data and technology branch is “blending the best organisation design principles and the best professionalisation available” with the intrinsic value of the public service. “We are pursuing this in a way that sets the standards for international policing,” O’Sullivan asserts.

While the data and technology branch works closely with industry, it is primarily motivated to develop its in-house skills in cooperation with other agencies. “We know exactly what we want, and we have the expertise to oversee it. While we procure some products, we apply a very careful decision processes to ‘buy versus build’, and our preference is always to acquire something that already works elsewhere,” the CIO outlines.

Information led policing

In 2018, the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland’s published its final report. Under the Commission’s 10 principles for vision for the future of policing, the eighth principle asserts that policing must be information led.

The Future of Policing in Ireland acknowledged that:

• An Garda Síochána badly needs to introduce better business processes and systems for collecting, recording, managing, analysing, and disseminating information about crimes, incidents, complaints, finance, human resources, and other management issues;

• police and partner agencies need to share information effectively between themselves, and communicate with community partners;

• technology can provide the tools for this, as part of a comprehensive strategy for digital innovation;

• current Garda technology is outdated and inadequate to the detriment of both effective delivery of police services and efficient allocation of resources;

• data should be seen as a strategic asset and a key factor in determining policing decisions. In this way it should complement, not substitute for intuition and experience;

• professional data analysis is an essential tool in modern policing and should be available in each Garda division and in an enlarged Garda Analysis Service at Headquarters; and

“Our digital policing strategy is about achieving the right blend of the electronic world and the physical world.”

future of policing report

Andrew O’Sullivan, Chief Information Officer and Chief Data Officer, An Garda Síochána

Future of policing

crimes and investigations, from the perspective of confidentiality.

Now, in geographically large divisions such as Cork County, rather than driving for more than an hour, superintendents who conduct early crime scene assessment can use mobile devices to videoconference with gardaí on the scene and make the decision as to as to what resources should be allocated. Likewise, almost every meeting from the Commissioner’s weekly management meeting downwards has a digital component.

In the last year, An Garda Síochána also had one of the biggest data centre moves in Irish public service history.

• police should share information with their communities and partners.

A purely ICT strategy, Connect: An Garda Síochána’s Digital Strategy 20192023 has now been succeeded by Information Led Policing which is an overarching vision rather than a strategy.

“Building on the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland’s report, Information Led Policing is the destination that we want to get to,” the CIO notes. “From an implementation perspective, we take an agile development approach, with smaller individual projects in the service of the overarching vision. Does a particular project support us in advancing the vision from an innovation perspective? If the answer is no, then the project is dropped. If the answer is yes, then we progress with it.

“Information Led Policing is distinct from the style of a five-year change transformation programme. At the scale that we are operating at, it is impossible to have a single strategy or a single plan that is all encompassing. Instead, with a very clear vision, we can constantly kind of refine our projects in pursuit of that.”

How An Garda Síochána manages and organises the data it handles is a key component of Information Led Policing “The whole vision is about implementing what are called data value chains. Business value chains turn raw materials into finished products and deliver them

to customers. Data value chains use data as the raw material and turn it into information. Information is something that can be transformed into insight, which explains not just what happened, but why it happened. Ideally, again, this can be turned it into foresight, which is what is going to happen next and what you can do to influence that outcome,” the CIO observes.

Digital innovation

Digital innovation means invention plus practical application. The Covid pandemic provided huge impetus for An Garda Síochána to innovate very quickly.

“While Covid was completely unwelcome, it was transformative from a cultural perspective and accelerated our data strategy. It opened eyes to the potential for the use of digital tools and remote working. Also, because we were getting data feeds in things like traffic patterns from Transport Infrastructure Ireland, it really accelerated the concept of acquiring data rather than simply collecting it from first principles.

“Garda personnel have demonstrated that they are extremely creative with how to use the tools at its disposal. In early 2020, prior to Covid, we were experimenting with videoconferencing. It was not something that was initially embraced because policing orthodoxy dictated for instance, that personnel should be present at crime scenes and in the same room to talk about major

“Historically, there were two data centres on site at Garda Headquarters. While one remains here, we have moved the other to a separate, secure location. Moving 20- or 30-year-old systems is a big deal because they are practically built into the fabric of the building. The fact that we were able to do that seamlessly was a big step forward.

“There is a concept in computing about having a fundamental core and then innovating around it. The data centres are a core that provide us with a strong basis for future innovation,” the CIO explains.

The mobile technology used by Garda personnel is another example of a fundamental core. Today, An Garda Síochána still has traditional desktop computers and some of these will always be needed. However, it is primarily focused on the use of laptops and smartphones which become a computer when plugged into a screen or lapdock (which resembles a laptop but with no storage or processor). This mobile platform puts An Garda Síochána in a very strong position to quickly develop new applications in response to policing needs. “As the mobile technology continues to evolve with improved computing power, we can leverage that,” he adds.

PULSE

Delivery of the Information Led Policing vision is underpinned by the deployment of technology. One milestone in 2022 and 2023 has been expanding beyond the PULSE, a core policing system used to records details of crime incidents on a central database.

Future of policing

“PULSE is a massive system and is categorised in computing terms as a classic legacy system in that it is mission critical for Garda operations but is also subject to a high rate of change. We are constantly innovating, and PULSE has effectively been completely reengineered several times,” O’Sullivan asserts.

“Contrary to some discourse, we have no intention of replacing PULSE and it has evolved well over the last two decades,” O’Sullivan asserts. “However, the challenge is that PULSE was solely intended to be a crime incident recording system.”

CAD

Until recently, PULSE was An Garda Síochána’s only nationally linked database. Over the last year, it has been complemented by two other very large systems: firstly, the new Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD2) system and secondly, the Investigation Management System (IMS).

On the front end, the CAD2 system is in the process being rolled out in the Eastern Region and the Southern region, with the North Western region and the Dublin Metropolitan Region to follow.

Previously, control room dispatchers had four or more different computer systems on their desks, as well as a laptop for additional applications such as maps. None of these were integrated and it took considerable skills and coordination to dispatch a response to a 999 incident. Now, CAD2 locates the caller’s location on a map and recalls a history of previous incidents at that location and first responders will have an app on their mobile devices which displays this information. Dispatchers can now make better informed decisions on how to respond to a call for service.

“Computer Aided Dispatch is about collecting information from the very first

point of contact. This reduces the pressure on PULSE because not every call turns out to be a crime. For instance, some calls are dealt with via a first line policing response. This is recorded by the CAD2 system. Similarly, proactive policing exercises, such as checks of licenced premises, can be recorded rather than everything ending up on PULSE,” the CIO explains.

IMS

On the back end then, the IMS is an electronic solution designed to regulate and support the administration and operation of investigations and specified operations conducted by An Garda Síochána arising from a PULSE incident.

“Instead of gardaí having to manually keep track of investigation related information, all evidence from individual investigations is digitised and made available to the investigation team. That has allowed us to move from paperbased files to mobile access.

“IMS is intended to standardise the management of investigations and operations from the initial reporting and recording of an incident on PULSE, to the conclusion. This will take time to fully bed in and we are constantly looking for ways to reduce the overhead on users who must log and record data,” O’Sullivan describes.

Profile: Andrew O’Sullivan

Ambition

Identifying the delivery of Information Led Policing as the most significant of his priorities, the CIO indicates that each of the groups within the data and technology branch has its own role to play. “It is really about people understanding our vision and then delivering on it. Every single project that we complete and hiring decision that we make is in the service of advancing the vision to deliver on the eighth principle of The Future of Policing in Ireland,” O’Sullivan remarks.

As was the experience of many public service agencies during the 2010s, in the wake of the Great Recession, An Garda Síochána underwent severe budget cuts and a dearth of innovation in technology,

In recent years, however, with a significant increase in funding, it is in advantageous position. “Having come from a position of not being able to modernise our technology, we are now able to leapfrog over what some other police services might have achieved.

“We must also increase our professional capabilities and hiring experts in areas such as data science and AI to ensure that we remain flexible and ready for the next waves of digitalisation because the thing about digitalisation is that it never stops. What we are doing today will evolve into something completely different in the future,” he concludes.

A native of Clontarf, Dublin, Andrew O’Sullivan is a graduate of computer science, engineering management, and statistics from Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin. Along with over 2,000 Garda colleagues he has completed the University of Limerick’s NFQ Level 8 certification in Policing and Human Rights Law. O’Sullivan joined An Garda Síochána in 2019 where, as CIO and chief data officer, he has overall responsibility for data and technology. Having begun his career as consultant for International Computers Limited and Fujitsu, he spent the longest portion of his working life in IONA Technologies, before joining Microsoft. He was CIO of Citibank Europe before joining the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in 2016 where he was an assistant director general and chief information officer.

“Every single project that we complete and hiring decision that we make is in the service of advancing the vision to deliver on the eighth principle of The Future of Policing in Ireland.”

Justice Plan 2023 published

Then-Minister for Justice Simon Harris TD and Minister of State

James Browne TD published Justice Plan 2023 in April 2023, setting out 140 headline actions with the aim “to continue building stronger, safer communities”.

Justice Plan 2023 is the third in a series of annual plans, with its 2021 and 2022 counterparts having been brought to government and published by the since-returned Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD. The annual plans contain within them objectives and actions designed to deliver upon the strategic goals set out in the Department of Justice’s Statement of Strategy 2021-2023, which contains a focus on ensuring a “safe, fair, and inclusive Ireland”.

Progress reports will be published throughout the plan’s lifespan, one at the midway point, and another at its end. The plan contains five overarching strategic goals, three of which contain some relevance to the future of policing:

• tackle crime, enhance national security, and transform policing;

• strengthen community safety, reduce reoffending, support victims, and combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence; and

• accelerate innovation, digital transformation, and climate action across the justice sector.

Tackle crime, enhance national security, and transform policing

Actions under this strategic goal are grouped around six objectives: developing a “leading edge and accountable policing service” through the

Future of policing

implementation of A Policing Service for the Future; delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the operation of the criminal justice system; combatting cybercrime; strengthening measure to tackle terrorism and other serious and organised crime through domestic action and international cooperation; reforming, reviewing, and modernising criminal law and procedure; and ensuring strong governance in all bodies across the criminal justice sector.

Three of the headline actions under this strategic goal concern legislation, the first of which is passing the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas. At the time of writing, the Bill – aimed at strengthening both external oversight and internal governance of An Garda Síochána – sits at the Dáil Éireann Third Stage. The plan also pledges to support the enactment of the Recording Devices Bill, which has passed the Dáil Second Stage but not yet entered the Third Stage. Further powers for the Criminal Assets Bureau aimed at ensuring it “remains a world leader in seizing illgotten gains” are also pledged under the Crime Amendment Bill 2023.

Other notable aims under this goal include increasing the maximum sentence for assaulting a peace officer to 12 years, supporting legislation to increase sentences for assault causing harm, conspiracy to murder, and the creation of stand-alone offences for stalking and non-fatal strangulation. Further investment for An Garda

Síochána is also pledged to “drive recruitment, fund new stations and infrastructure, such as the new Garda plane”.

In terms of recruitment, which resumed in 2022, the plan states that the State now has a “steady stream of recruits entering the college [The Garda College in Templemore, County Tipperary] every 11 weeks” and that Budget 2023 has provided funding to allow for the recruit of up to 1,000 new gardaí in 2023. It is said within the plan that this increased recruitment will support the rollout of the new Garda operating model, which “introduces major changes to the structures of An Garda Síochána by providing more front-line Gardaí, increased Garda visibility, and a wider range of policing services for people in their local area”.

Strengthen community safety, reduce reoffending, support victims, and combat domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence

“Substantial reforms” are committed to under this strategic goal in order to meet commitments on strengthening community safety, reducing reoffending, diverting young people from crime, supporting victims, and combatting domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.

The continued implementation of Zero Tolerance, the national strategy to tackle such violence, is among the key actions under this strategic goal, along with a commitment to “work to remove the legal barriers that prevent domestic violence victims from remaining in their homes and examine how to allow An Garda Síochána issue removal orders to take offenders out of the home in high risk cases”. Also pledged is the publication of a new human trafficking action plan and preparation for the national rollout of new Community Safety Partnerships in 2024.

The establishment of a task force to improve education and upskilling across the criminal justice system is also pledged. The programme will start with prison education and will consider youth justice issues, agree a work programme, and be co-chaired at the ministerial level in the Department of Justice and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science.

Accelerate innovation, digital transformation and climate action across the justice sector

Most relevant to the future of policing under this strategic goal is the commitment to “dramatically increase” digital services throughout the entire justice sector, which is cited as a key action in the modernisation of An Garda Síochána. Actions to be undertaken in 2023 under this goal include the commencement of a project that allows for the automated transfer of relevant court list data from the Courts Service to An Garda Síochána, to be concluded in Q2 2024.

Speaking upon the launch of the plan, then-Minister Harris said: “This plan contains an ambitious number of actions to be achieved over the course of the year as we work to continue to build stronger, safer communities that will make a real difference for people in Ireland in both the short and long term.

“A key priority will be to continue to support An Garda Síochána in protecting our communities from crime through increased resources and a stronger and more diverse Garda service. We will invest in recruitment, training and technology and progress new legislation to help An Garda Síochána as they do their vital job protecting us.”

Transforming policing for a changing Ireland

The model now being rolled out responds to the diverse communities that exist today. It increases the importance of local and responsive policing. It places increased emphasis on our already close connection with local communities.

The new operating model includes restructuring at national, regional, and divisional levels to enable improved delivery of community policing according to local needs. With increased specialist services and enhanced capabilities, it will allow An Garda Síochána to respond to changing communities and the changing nature of crime.

The operating model is a key initiative being delivered as part of the overall transformation programme for An Garda Síochána and is guided by the Government’s plan for policing – A Policing Service for the Future (APSFF). This will deliver upon the recommendations contained in the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland report.

An Garda Síochána is changing because it wants to ensure it continues to provide a high quality policing service to the people of Ireland, who trust in the organisation to help them feel safe in their homes, their communities and as they go about their daily lives.

A key structural change under the

operating model is the organisation moving from six regions to four, and from 28 Garda divisions to 19.

Each division will be headed by a Divisional Chief Superintendent, who oversees four newly defined functional areas: business services; performance and assurance; crime; and community engagement. Each of these functional areas will be led by a superintendent, with the exception of business services, which will be led by an assistant principal officer.

Among the drivers of this change is a recognition that An Garda Síochána’s existing core structures have not fundamentally changed in its 100 year history.

It is also responding to changes in society as a whole. Our communities are more diverse and require a more tailored approach catering to their specific needs. An Garda Síochána, therefore, wants to organise and operate in a way that continues to work for Ireland now, and into the future.

Crime too is changing, and this model recognises a need to stay ahead of criminals and how they have adapted over time. This includes enhancing An Garda Síochána’s capabilities in tackling cybercrime, economic crime, organised crime, domestic violence, and sexual crime at local level.

By having larger divisions, with more resources and more services available locally, we can provide better local and community policing with increased specialist services and enhanced capabilities.

An Garda Síochána began this transformation in October 2019 when it moved from six regions to four, and has seen divisions transition to the new functional area structure over time.

The Covid-19 pandemic delayed its implementation, but An Garda Síochána is now in the midst of rolling out the new functional areas and implementing the realignment of divisions. Mayo and Roscommon/Longford Garda divisions were the first to formally amalgamate in September 2022.

Six divisions – Kerry, Cork City, Galway, Limerick, Mayo/Roscommon/Longford, and the DMR South Central in Dublin –have implemented the four functional

An Garda Síochána is in the midst of a very exciting period of organisational change, the largest of its kind since its inception in 1922, as it rolls out a new operating model across the whole organisation.

Future divisions under the operating model

Future of policing

areas (business services, performance assurance, crime, and community engagement) under the new operating model. Work continues across the remaining 13 divisions to implement the operating model during 2023.

The rollout of the operating model is already benefiting communities and enabling greater efficiencies in delivery of services. For example, the operating model has enabled the establishment of regional cybercrime hubs, putting tools and specialists in place locally to investigate this form of criminal activity. Further to this, it has reduced the amount of time Gardaí spend on administrative tasks allowing them to spend more time on front line duties, increasing visibility on the ground.

Already, there are key points of learning from the transformation process, which may be of interest to other organisations going through similar change.

Inspector Sean Cullen says: “Because this change is so big, we have found you have to be agile as to how you implement it. For instance, there are approximately 140 standardised business services processes (finance, HR, general administration) documented. It is only when people begin using the processes that you will get feedback to say this works, or there is a better way of doing this or that there are too many layers. When we get feedback, we make changes to standardised processes or our design where appropriate, as we are moving along.”

For An Garda Síochána there will always be new regulations or legislation that will require operational and/or administrative changes, so it needs to be able to adapt to these.

“You have to have an integrated approach; you cannot be siloed. You have other change going on in the organisation too, like upgrades to our investigation management system, our computer aided dispatch system, implementation of the rosters and duty management system etc. And so, with all these other projects coming in you have to ensure you do not encounter change fatigue. We have found it is important not to implement too much change in divisions at any one time,” Cullen notes.

All change must still go through the relevant policy owners for approvals, but as Cullen notes, “it is not a one size fits all either”. The divisions themselves have their own unique make-up, some are urban, some are rural, and others encompass up to three counties. For this reason, there needs to be a more tailored approach when implementing this change.

Mary Gildea, Assistant Principal over Business Services in the Mayo Roscommon Longford Division, says: “From my perspective the operating model has been very successful and innovative in its rollout throughout the division.

“The model allows for the standardisation and optimisation of processes with the divisions so that if someone wishes to report a crime, have

an event policed or look for specific documentation, the same process is applied across all divisions. It takes administrative tasks away from front-line Garda members and allows for them to exercise their specialities in policing and allows the business specialists deal with business matters.”

The real-world benefits of this ongoing transformation will be seen in the form of Gardaí being freed up to focus on the front-line, enhanced local policing and community engagement, and a wider range of services being provided locally.

It will not only improve organisational processes and operations to support community policing, it will help An Garda Síochána improve performance, and help it develop best practices at national and local level.

There will also be greater accountability throughout the organisation and regions and divisions will have greater control over how policing is delivered locally, while working within a corporate framework.

W: www.garda.ie

New policing bill proposes sweeping reforms

The Bill will be successor legislation to the Garda Síochána Act 2005. To achieve the objective of strengthened governance of An Garda Síochána, the Bill is proposing a new Garda board known as Bord an Gharda Síochána.

The new board’s functions would provide for the independence of the Garda Commissioner in relation to the performance of his or her functions and for the appointment of members of An Garda Síochána and members of garda staff.

With the aim to provide for local community safety partnerships, the Bill further aims to establish a new policing and community safety authority to be known as An tÚdarás Póilíneachta agus Sábháilteachta Pobail (Policing and Community Safety Authority), which would replace the Policing Authority.

The Bill is also proposing the appointment of An tOmbudsman

Póilíneachta (Police Ombudsman) and An Leas-Ombudsman Póilíneachta (Deputy Police Ombudsman) respectively, as well as the establishment of a body to be known as Oifig an Scrúdaitheora Neamhspleách um Reachtaíocht Slándála (the Office of Independent Examiner of Security Legislation). The head of this body will be known as An Scrúdaitheoir Neamhspleách um Reachtaíocht Slándála (Independent Examiner of Security Legislation).

Introducing the Bill to the Dáil on 22 February 2023, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, James Browne TD, said: “This Bill provides a new framework for policing, security and community safety, and, when enacted, will repeal and replace the current legislation, the Garda Síochána Act 2005, in its entirety. The Bill is based on the recommendations of the commission report which itself was informed by

extensive consultations across the policing landscape, including with the wider public.”

Sinn Féin justice spokesperson Pa Daly TD expressed his opinion that “it is a disappointment to see that the Bill now narrows the [Policing] Authority's remit to only An Garda Síochána”.

“If a future scandal were to arise, it would not be difficult to see the Commissioner asserting that its accountability is solely to the board, which is, in itself, responsible for the interests of An Garda Síochána rather than to the authority,” the Sinn Féin TD said.

With the Bill currently at committee stage in the Dáil, the Department of Justice has stated that it aims to have the Bill signed into legislation by January 2024, albeit with the caveat that this date is “dependent on Oireachtas scheduling”.

Currently at committee stage in the Dáil, the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023 aims to “strengthen the governance of An Garda Síochána and to provide for clear and effective oversight and accountability of An Garda Síochána”.

Credit: Fianna Fáil

Greens blocking controversial FRT bill

The original draft of the Bill, announced under then-Minister for Justice Heather Humphries TD in 2021, did not include a provision for the use of facial recognition technology (FRT). However, calls to equip gardaí with body cams have intensified this year after a series of high-profile attacks on members of the force and recent policing of far-right protests and counter-protests.

Former Minister for Justice Simon Harris TD had hoped to bring about the use of FRT by way of tabling amendments to the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 before he left office in May 2023.

Arguing in favour of the provision, the Fine Gael TD said: “The accurate and efficient identification of suspects and equally, the elimination of individuals from enquiries are key pillars to ensure that An Garda Síochána meets its statutory obligations.”

The former Justice Minister’s support has been echoed by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, which

has argued that the use of FRT will make gardaí less prone to attacks and increase their ability to streamline work.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland in June 2023, AGSI General Secretary Antoinette Cunningham outlined her belief that “garda assaults are on the increase” and that bodycams are “a basic level of protection that is needed”.

She added: “Every day that this legislation is delayed, there is an increased risk to An Garda Síochána and that is not acceptable.”

Whilst supportive of the use of recording devices for gardaí, the Green Party has outlined its opposition to the provision proposed by Harris, which it argues will lead to gender and racial bias and could be open to abuse.

“The party is not supportive of Minister Harris’s proposal to amend the original bodycams bill in order to allow the use of a form of artificial intelligence known as facial recognition technology, which has proved controversial in other

countries,” a Green Party spokesperson said.

Concern over the use of recording devices has been raised by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, citing: intrusion on rights for law enforcement purposes; equality implications in the use of technology; access and retention of data; and adequacy of safeguards and oversight mechanisms.

The Commission acknowledges that police recording is lawful under the Constitution and international human rights law, subject to the requirement that it is based on law, pursues a legitimate aim, is proportionate in that aim and is necessary in a democratic society.

However, Chief Commissioner Sinéad Gibney has said: “It is vital that this new law incorporates from the outset the necessary human rights and equality protections for people today, and into the future.”

The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 continues to face delay amid opposition within government from the Green Party and human rights organisations, over the use of facial recognition technology.

Facial recognition technology is commonly used in airport security in the United States.

Credit: Delta Airlines

Crime and policing statistics

Recorded crime victims 2022

Murder or manslaughter

• 75% male (35)

• 25% female (12)

Physical assault and related offences

• 57% male (13,321)

• 43% female (9,934)

Sexual offences

• 17% males (543)

• 83% females (2,575)

66% or sexual crimes reported in 2022 occurred in the previous 12 months, whilst 20% occurred more than 10 years prior

In 2021, one-fifth of sexual offence crimes had a male offender and a male victim

Source: CSO, May 2023.

Crime between 2021 and 2022

30% increase in homicide and related offences

17% increase in attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassments, and related offences

32% decrease in fraud, deception and related offences

13% decrease in controlled drug offences

41% increase in theft and related offences

Source: CSO, March 2023.

An Garda Síochána in 2021

€63.7 million in drug seizures by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau

45,283 contacts and attempted contacts with victims of domestic abuse between April 2020 and December 2022

340 probationer gardaí allocated, as part of the pandemic operational response, to Garda stations nationwide

Successfully connected to Schengen Information System (SIS) with 110 arrests under SIS Article 26 and 88 arrests under European Arrest

Warrants (EAW)

Source: CSO, December 2022

Minister Dara Calleary TD:

Sometimes the biggest leap for a business can be that first step. Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary TD, outlines the opportunity facing Irish businesses embarking on digital transformation journeys.

We are all now aware that digital technologies are changing the world around us at an ever-increasing pace, but when we speak of digital transformation it often can seem like a daunting allconsuming task but that is not necessarily the case.

The marker of success in this phase of innovation is how businesses respond. Those that are open to opportunity and are prepared to seize it have the greatest advantage. It is for this reason that digital transformation is at the very heart of our enterprise policy, and we have strong ambitions for Ireland to remain a digital

frontrunner, a leading country at the very heart of European and global developments.

As a government, we are committed to supporting the digital transition in business and through our enterprise agencies, the Local Enterprise Office and Enterprise Ireland, we are supporting businesses at every stage of their digital journey, because the benefits are clear; the implementation of digital technologies can help to enhance productivity, sustainability, and overall inclusivity.

Digital transformation can be the key to unlocking entirely new areas of innovation

‘Digital transformation of businesses is a rare opportunity’

and increasing productivity. It can help to increase a business’s reach by enabling access to new markets, or by helping it to better understand and respond to customers’ needs, allowing tailored offering to suit their demands.

Digital technologies can also be used to transform many aspects of a business’s existing processes and products. The digital transformation of a business might begin with something relatively simple, like using software to automate invoicing process, or something more complex, like changing the way data is stored and analysed so that better, more informed decisions can be made from day to day. That could mean looking to digital innovation to help make a series of incremental improvements or it could mean making fundamental, structural changes to the way a business operates.

Whether steps toward digital transformation are significant changes to a business or building on the digital transformations that have already begun, it helps to view these actions as individual stages in a larger digital journey. The digital transformation of a business is not a single project, it is a long-term process that will help to ensure businesses can be more efficient, more flexible, and more resilient in the face of external shocks.

It is increasingly clear that we are at a turning point; alongside the digital transition, we are also progressing towards a green transition, placing ever more emphasis on improving sustainability and lowering emissions.

Green transition

Since 2022, we have all become keenly aware of our businesses’ energy demands. The implementation of digital technologies can help us to be more energy efficient. That may mean taking advantage of new technologies or by considering new opportunities through improved logistics.

At the same time, through the introduction and widespread drive towards hybrid and remote working, digital technologies can help us to strive for greater sustainability even beyond the

direct impacts of our business themselves, meaning that the day-to-day work-pattern of our businesses contribute to the lowering of emissions overall.

These same technologies and patterns can also have a significant impact on accessibility and inclusiveness, making our businesses more accessible for both employees and customers than they might otherwise have been. We are determined to make Ireland one of the most digitally inclusive states in the EU, as well as one of the most digitally advanced.

The digital transformation of businesses is a rare opportunity to make products and services available to as wide an audience as possible, and to address existing barriers to accessibility. To achieve this, we must keep accessibility to the fore as we work on digital transformation.

In an increasingly digitalised society, we must always be cognisant of the fact that our efforts towards digital progress can introduce new accessibility challenges or may widen an existing digital divide. As such, it is important that, as we seek to benefit from the opportunities of digitalisation, we do so with a view to making our products and services more accessible wherever

possible.

For many businesses, the question is not one of whether to take advantage of digital technologies, but of how to begin, of what should be the first step in that process. Often, the best way is to take a look at the ‘pain points’ in your own business.

For some, that may mean shifting some of your existing processes into the cloud, for others it may mean opening yourself to online bookings for the first time, or it may be about automating elements of those processes where they are already in place. For others, it may mean using big data or artificial intelligence to further refine and enhance your products, or to recognise new efficiencies.

The truth is that there is no easy answer. There is no sure-fire, one-size-fits-all approach to digitalisation. The pathway to digitalisation of your business will be as individual as your business itself and our enterprise agencies are an important resource, there to support and advise businesses on where to start.

For those willing to take those steps there are significant advantages to be had. Regardless of the approach you take, these transformations will help you move towards a future that is more open, more inclusive, and more responsive to new developments.

“We have strong ambitions for Ireland to remain a digital frontrunner.”

Dara Calleary TD, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation

How Irish government bodies can protect their critical services with AWS

As part of this, governments must be able to protect and maintain core digital assets and records such as population and property registers, education records, revenue and tax data, benefits systems, and more. To better prepare governments for what might arise, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has created Continuity of Government IT on AWS (CGIT), a comprehensive cloudbased solution that enables governments to protect their digital assets and services during disruptions of any kind.

“CGIT gives public sector bodies the ability to leverage globally distributed IT

infrastructure to underpin their continuity plans. They are no longer constrained by localised backup solutions or expensive and vulnerable third-party onpremises facilities,” says Liam Maxwell, Director of Government Transformation for AWS. “This means they can focus on the operational aspects of maintaining key government services using the range of continuity options AWS provides. By leveraging these best practices, governments can be more prepared now than before.”

Real-life use cases

CGIT is being used to support Ukraine

during the war with Russia. To date, AWS has safely migrated over 10 petabytes of essential data from 42 Ukrainian ministries, 24 universities, a remote learning K-12 school serving thousands of displaced children and dozens of private sector companies. In addition, AWS created a centralised tool to help officials from the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and other public health agencies request and track incoming supplies and monitor the capacity of nearby hospitals to better treat the wounded.

Within Ireland, an example of CGIT in practice is the Department of Health’s

Citizens justifiably expect their governments to show resilience in response to serious challenges, whether it is a natural disaster, cyberattack, or geopolitical event, writes Mark Finlay, Head of Public Sector, Ireland, Amazon Web Services.

response to the Covid-19 pandemic as it unfolded. In three short weeks, the Department built a multi-channel digital Covid-19 call centre service in the AWS Cloud to deal with citizen queries. Designed for flexibility and scalability, the call centre seamlessly handled 400,000 calls versus the 60,000 expected in its first week of operation.

Regardless of how it is used, CGIT provides flexible, resilient, and secure infrastructure that can withstand challenging events. That is because the AWS Cloud has been designed to meet the needs of militaries, global banks, and other highly sensitive organisations.

A closer look at the CGIT process

The CGIT journey begins with situational awareness. AWS Professional Services or an AWS partner works with government IT leaders to assess their current continuity and reliability posture and map potential challenges and opportunities that can be addressed using the AWS Cloud.

Because continuity can have a different meaning for services with different criticality, complexity, or context, CGIT classifies the approach for continuity into three levels:

• Level 1: Cloud backup. At this level, the AWS Cloud is used to securely store critical datasets in the Ireland AWS Region, within which there are three availability zones. Level 1 CGIT engagements help determine the best strategy for

building a secure landing zone, implementing control and governance mechanisms to secure data, and establishing an architecture for continuous backup and uncomplicated restore.

• Level 2: Pre-planned migration. CGIT prepares government services to be migrated to or recovered in the cloud at a moment’s notice. As resources are often limited in a crisis, CGIT activities focus on preparing plans and procedures for service migration and recovery, with a preference for fully automated and frequently verified actions.

• Level 3: Active cloud standby. Essential services for emergency response, public safety or national security can be designed to allow the smooth shift of operations between on-premises and the cloud.

Learn more or get started with CGIT

Continuity of Government IT on AWS is available to both local and central government in Ireland. The CGIT team will work with you and AWS Partner Network members of your choice to establish the best path towards your continuity goals. To learn more or obtain the Continuity of Government IT on AWS solution guide, email us.

E: aws-publicsector-ireland@amazon.com

W: www.aws.amazon.com

“CGIT gives public sector bodies the ability to leverage globally distributed IT infrastructure to underpin their continuity plans.”

Figure 1. The three levels of continuity classification in the CGIT solution: cloud backup, pre-planned migration, and active cloud standby.

Digital services: Supporting life events

Head of Digital Services in the Office of Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), Tony Shannon, discusses the evolution of a user-centric approach to public sector design and delivery, in an important decade.

In March 2022, the OGCIO, under the auspices of the renamed Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDPDR), published its decade-long vision to digitise public services in the form of Connecting Government 2030: A Digital and ICT Strategy for Ireland’s Public Service

Much of the focus of that strategy, explains Shannon, is on the delivery of digitalised systems and services to support citizens through the delivery of more efficient ‘cradle to the grave’ services.

The Head of Digital Services believes that in a time when the public in Ireland is facing multiple crises ranging from the Covid-19 pandemic to housing, health, and refugee crises, now more than ever, the efficient delivery of public services is critical. However, he is also aware that the requirement of fundamental change to the organisational structure of public services in Ireland is a major challenge.

The Civil Service Renewal 2030 strategy, published in May 2021, set out the Government’s intention to deliver ‘digital first’ services, progress under which can already be seen through existing work by the OGCIO, such as the evolution of gov.ie, the information platform aimed at citizens, or the Build to Share applications – tools developed for civil servants delivering services.

Shannon explains that the pandemic, and the subsequent public service response, highlighted the ability of public services to not only roll out specific services, but also deliver them at a speed which has set an expectation benchmark for mobilisation.

“Building on these lessons we have learned in recent years, we are now trying to line up with governments around the world to address the effective delivery of digital public services for citizens’ life events, which are essentially the major moments of interaction between government and the people we serve,” says Shannon.

“In designing these services digitally, we are taking a user-centred design approach. Essentially, this is the public service catching up with the rest of industry in saying when you design a service, the first and central building block is the user.”

DPENDPDR is leading an initiative to support public service organisations to deliver user-centric services that are accessible, effective, and efficient in line with Actions 12, 13, and 14 of the Civil Service Renewal Action Plan 2024. The first phase of this initiative was to develop and launch Designing Our Public Services, the first prototype set of design principles for public services in Ireland.

“We are now in a position to talk about design principles, which line up with good international practice. These begin by putting the citizen at the centre of how we design our services, and not, as historically might have been the case, the organisational structure.”

Highlighting an iterative approach, rather than the traditional ‘waterfall’ approach to service design, Shannon says that OGCIO is building upon progress under Build to Share, where a service is built once and shared across the public sector.

“We are building on from that in terms of a much more open approach and embracing issues like open architecture, open APIs, open source and tacking to what is now known as the GovStack approach,” he explains.

GovStack is a thought-leading approach to designing and delivering public services internationally, led by the UN, whereby a set of building blocks can be re-used. Shannon outlines the seven building blocks which Ireland are trying

Tony

to line up against as:

1. Digital identity

2. Content management

3. Data collection – e forms

4. Case management – eCase

5. Messaging

6. Credential-Wallet

7. Information mediator

Setting out a move to steer the direction of gov.ie towards being more than an informational service for citizens, the first step will be citizen log in via MyGovID, the digital identity building block needed to ensure users are authenticated.

Developed in conjunction with An Garda Síochána and the HSE, the e forms solution is the development of a generic forms tool which can be re-used for multiple purposes for capture of information in electronic form.

The eCase solution is a case management software which allows the public servant to take a generic application and run a workflow around, for example, approving, assigning, or reassigning a citizen’s application for services.

The digital post box, which is already operational and serving the needs of a

Office

variety of departments, allows for secure digital messaging between the government and the citizen. While a digital wallet is expected to be a ubiquitous tool that will allow for a safe store of all credentials issued by the Government.

Shannon highlights that most of this work is either already working in place, or, in the proof-of-concept stage, outlining his belief that the Government is on the cusp of important progress. However, he is equally aware that challenges exist.

“The most implicit challenge is that transformational changes to public services challenge the existing organisational structures, meaning that change will be disruptive and challenging for departments.

“At the same time, this is a tremendous opportunity to co-create the future that our citizens need and whereby the use dictates and informs the design of the services that will support them from the cradle to the grave.”

He concludes: “We are at a moment that matters. Currently, there is a gap, but we are moving towards supporting important events in peoples’ lives with digital services.”

“We are now trying to line up with governments around the world to address the effective delivery of digital public service for citizens’ life events...”

Shannon, Head of Digital Services,

of Government Chief Information Officer

eInvoicing moves closer to the tipping point

(2014/55/EU) established a legal obligation for all public procurement contracting authorities and contracting entities to be able to receive and process electronic invoices. At that time, a number of countries used the opportunity to also introduce mandatory eInvoicing for suppliers in business to government transactions”.

“It has been two years since the Directive came into full effect, and some of those countries where it remained optional for suppliers, now think the time is right to move to a mandate for suppliers in order to utilise the receiving capability that is in place and reap the administrative and environmental benefits of eInvoicing.”

In addition to this, the European Commission has recently proposed a series of measures to modernise and make the EU’s Value-Added Tax (VAT) system work better for businesses and more resilient to fraud by embracing and promoting digitalisation. The initiative is called VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA). Part of the proposals is for member states to move to real-time digital reporting based on eInvoicing for businesses.

Electronic invoicing (eInvoicing) is now a requirement for all suppliers awarded public contracts in more than 14 EU member states. In growing numbers, Irish suppliers are looking to meet that requirement, through the Peppol network, in order to do business in the European Single Market.

Increasing eInvoicing mandate for suppliers across Europe

In March 2023, the final stage of a law came into effect in Luxembourg making it mandatory for suppliers, of all sizes, to send their invoices electronically

(eInvoicing) to the State in the context of public procurement and concession contracts.

In doing so, Luxembourg became the latest of more than 14 EU member states including Italy, France, Spain, and Norway to name but a few, where elnvoicing is mandatory for suppliers for all Business to Government transactions.

A number of factors are fuelling this growing wave of countries where eInvoicing is now mandatory for suppliers. According to McCormack, “the European eInvoicing Directive

The EU’s ViDA proposal would make eInvoicing mandatory for cross-border business and also allow all member states to introduce mandatory eInvoicing for domestic business to business transactions, if they so wish. Suppliers and other interested parties are monitoring this development closely and in some cases exploring how best to prepare for the change.

“These factors have helped to increase awareness among suppliers that eInvoicing is an option in public procurement and, in a growing number of cases, that it is a condition of doing business in the European Single Market. Suppliers are now looking to find out more about eInvoicing, the Peppol network and in particular how they can get connected to send eInvoices as being requested by their clients,” explains McCormack.

Declan McCormack, the principal officer whose unit has responsibility for the eInvoicing Ireland programme in the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), outlines recent developments in eInvoicing in Ireland and in Europe that are mobilising suppliers to adopt Peppol-based eInvoicing in public procurement.

eInvoicing in Ireland

In the context of the EU’s public procurement regulations and ViDA proposals, an eInvoice is a structured electronic invoice that complies with the European Standard (EN-16931) for eInvoicing (‘the EN’). Ireland has chosen the Peppol network as the eDelivery network through which EN compliant eInvoices should be delivered to public bodies. The Peppol network is widely supported across Europe and internationally. Peppol allows businesses, through one connection, to connect to any and all public administrations and businesses in Ireland and Europe that are also on the network.

In Ireland, eInvoicing in public procurement remains optional for suppliers. Suppliers can still choose to submit invoices in various forms depending on their preference and/or any local trading arrangements they might have.

McCormack believes that with a supplier opt-in approach, we need to communicate a clear message to drive uptake in Ireland: “Support by all public bodies for the European eInvoicing Standard, and the use of the Peppol network for delivery of eInvoices, simplifies the choices for suppliers and helps to reduce or avoid costs when they are considering investing in doing business digitally with public sector clients at home and internationally.”

A supplier information sheet is available online at the OGP’s eInvoicing Ireland website (See Figure 1).

Guidance for public bodies

At the end of March 2023, the OGP’s Multi Supplier Framework Agreement for the provision of PEPPOL networking and eInvoicing Systems and Services to the Irish Public Sector (‘eInvoicing Framework’) reached its full term. No new contracts can be entered into off the framework.

There is now greater maturity and understanding of public sector needs in the eInvoicing services and solutions available on the market that will help public bodies meet their legal obligations arising from the European eInvoicing Directive. In many cases, eInvoicing services can now be easily, swiftly and cost effectively procured compliantly by a public sector body (PSB) directly from the market.

The following information is available to assist public bodies in that regard:

• In line with the national approach, eInvoicing solutions should support the delivery of supplier invoices via the Peppol eDelivery network. A list of certified Peppol service providers is available on the official Peppol website.

• General eInvoicing information is available on the gov.ie website.

• Public procurement guidelines for goods and services are available here on the gov.ie website.

For queries please contact the einvoicing@ogp.gov.ie

“Support by all public bodies for the European eInvoicing Standard, and the use of the Peppol network for delivery of eInvoices, simplifies the choices for suppliers and helps to reduce or avoid costs when they are considering investing in doing business digitally with public sector clients at home and internationally.”

Progress made on Harnessing Digital dimensions

Amidst progress being made “across all” dimensions of the national digital strategy, Harnessing Digital, Ireland retained fifth place in the EU’s 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) while pressing forward with initiative such as the €85 million Digital Transition Fund, a government progress report states.

The Government published its progress report in December 2022, stating that Harnessing Digital “re-enforces our commitment to a modern, cohesive, well-resourced network of regulators to effectively oversee and enforce digital regulations”. Noting the State’s retention of fifth spot in the 2022 DESI rankings, the Government states that this is “increasingly important given the significant challenges, and economic headwinds currently facing businesses and households, including the technology sector”.

Mentioned among the “significant progress” made under the strategy are the establishment of a new Enterprise Digital Advisory Forum with representatives from domestic and multinational business, along with the €85 million Digital Transition Fund, available to 2026 and designed to “support companies at all stages of their journey”, which involves a digital training scheme for SMEs.

Also cited as progress is the Government’s revised statement on the role of data centres, published in July 2022, in which the Government pledged not to ban the development of new data centres, but instead proposed tighter regulations in an effort to “align the twin transitions, which are both digital and green”. Ireland’s first ever AI Ambassador, Patricia Scanlon, was also appointed to the role in May 2022, to lead “a national conversation on the role of AI in our lives, and Ireland’s commitment to an ethical approach”.

In terms of strategies and frameworks, progress has been made across various attempts to digitalise the state by 2030 since the inauguration of the Harnessing Digital strategy in February 2022. The Digital Strategy for Schools and the Adult Literacy for Life Strategy are both currently progressing, while a new Digital Connectivity Strategy sets

out the State’s ambition for connectivity to 2030 and the enablers for the achievement of such targets. The strategy follows four principles: encouraging commercial investment in energy efficient solutions, network integrity and security, and supporting the modernisation of networks and the transition to gigabit and 5G; ensuring the regulatory framework encourages investment in emerging technologies; intervening where the market fails to deliver; and promoting the adoption of digital technologies through pilot initiatives and research programmes.

Connecting Government 2030 continues to be implemented, with new eGov measures such as key life events for MyGovID profiles being developed, as well as the National Cyber Security Strategy 2019-2024, a mid-term review of which was opened for consultation in December 2022 and closed in February 2023. Work to strengthen the National Cyber Security Centre is “ongoing”. Also ongoing is the development of the Digital Healthcare Framework 2023-2027, which will “consider how best to develop a roadmap for electronic health record systems”.

From a legislative perspective, the Government has named the new media commission, Coimisiún na Meán, as Ireland’s digital services coordinator, a requirement under the European Digital Services Act and “work is ongoing to giver operational and legislative effect to that decision”. Coimisiún na Meán came into being in March 2023 as part of amendments made to the Broadcasting Act 2009 by the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022. The Government also agreed to appoint two new commissioners to support the needs of the Data Protection Commission (DPC) in July 2022, although no appointments have been made as yet and are not expected until current commissioner Helen Dixon’s role comes to an end at the end of 2023. The DPC budget has also been increased to €26.2 million for 2023, allowing the further expansion of the organisation beyond the 200 staff it currently employs.

Progress made under Harnessing Digital – The Digital Ireland Framework

€85 million Digital Transition Fund to 2026, including €16 million in 2023

€2.7 billion National Broadband Plan to cover 1.1 million people by 2027, 569,000 premises connected and over 750 broadband connection points rolled out thus far

€200 million capital investment for Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027

70% of people have at least basic digital skills, compared to EU average of 54%

100+ ICT civil service apprenticeships in software development, cybersecurity, and networking engineering in 2023

Information on over 1,100 datasets across almost 100 public bodies shared under the Public Service Data Catalogue

48% of population have a MyGovID account (over 1.8 million people)

Progress against targets, as measured under DESI 2022

Defining ‘digital’ and prioritising human experience

are at an all-time high, both in addressing challenges like the housing crisis and promoting economic prosperity in areas like tourism.

Digitising the tourist experience and maintaining famous Irish human experience

Tourism, accounting for 3 per cent of Ireland's GDP and 10.3 per cent of employment, thrives with support from organisations like Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. To sustain success and compete globally, a customer-centric focus is vital. In 2021, Fáilte Ireland's €6 million Digital That Delivers programme aimed to digitalise attractions, as only 15 per cent had adequate online booking. Digitalisation and improved experiences will strengthen Ireland's appeal postCovid.

What sample measures can the tourism industry take to accelerate and fulfil this ambition keeping Fexco’s D.I.G.I.T.A.L framework in mind.

Martin Ryan, Managing Director of Fexco Managed and Advisory Services talks to eolas Magazine about digital, and how human experience is the key design consideration when implementing the Government’s Digital and ICT Strategy.

There is no one definition or description of the word “digital”.

In the past 50 years, the word “digital” has become synonymous with progress and innovation. The main goal of digital technology is to improve user experiences and optimise processes, making it crucial for the Irish Government to prioritise human experience in its Digital and ICT Strategy.

Ireland continues to effectively modernise its public services through a human-centric lens, apparent across a wide range of public services such as an efficient tax system, and progress in vital economic contributors like the tourism

sector, which benefits from government support such as the Digital That Delivers programme and ongoing efforts by organisations like Fáilte Ireland.

As an operator of services on behalf of both the public and private sector that interacts with millions of individuals and businesses in Ireland on an annual basis, Fexco has a clear view on what makes a good user experience, and we have defined our own definition and framework of what digital is which may help when designing public services.

Focusing on digital and user experience is crucial today, as public service consumers’ demands and expectations

• Personalise experiences: Design personalised experiences at scale by offering tailored recommendations for tourists based on their persona, location, and past activities.

• Make it easy: Tourists expect digital interactions with attractions and experiences. Supporting the Digital That Delivers programme helps businesses enhance online booking, visitor management, and revenue.

• Make it different: Ireland's unique history, arts, culture, climate, and welcoming people differentiate it as a tourist destination. Combining digital and physical experiences will enhance memory creation, further setting Ireland apart for tourists.

Using technology and customer experience to help address aspects of the housing challenge

The complex Irish housing crisis is not solved by digital and customer experience alone, but improved experiences can alleviate some challenges for those seeking housing

Martin Ryan, Managing Director of Fexco Managed and Advisory Service.

Fexco’s D.I.G.I.T.A.L Framework

Design for personalised experience, at scale.

• Segment the user base into logical personas or groupings.

• Design services to ensure a positive, personal experience per segment.

• Integrate services and data to personalise the experience to the individual.

Involve and learn from your users.

• Hold user focus groups during design and use customer feedback to improve continuously.

• Regularly map the customer journey and be open to adjusting business processes for better experiences.

Gather and use data to determine what is possible in the future but harnessing the power of the past.

• Record and analyse user behaviour to define the optimal journey.

• Track channel shifts to identify broken journeys gather and act on user feedback and insights.

• Use predictive analytics models for future experience requirements.

Integrate and share systems and data.

• Design all new services to share relevant data.

• Seek and integrate relevant systems and data to enhance the user experience and supporting a personalised experience.

• Continuously challenge and remove barriers to sharing.

Try new things.

• As the world around us evolves, so too will the tools and technology around us. AI, IoT, quantum computing are examples of current disruptors, but will be accompanied by many more advancements in the future.

• Embrace the change and try the new, focusing on identifying real improvements for the user experience.

Automate.

• Seek opportunities to automate processes that will improve a user experience, either in an assisted or unassisted capacity.

• Automate user interactions that are trusted and provide certainty to customers, but design to allow for human interaction if required.

Learn and adapt in an agile manner.

• Continuously review and learn from the past to help shape the future.

• Leverage learning from other industries to shape your own.

• Be curious and challenge the status quo.

• Be agile and change fast if the need arises.

support. Digital tools can provide clarity and certainty for tenants, buyers, landlords, and sellers. A large portion of the population relies on the private rental sector, regulated by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). In this highly regulated environment, continued investment in digital offerings to support the critical B2B and B2C operations that the RTB provides is necessary to continuously improve private rental sector conditions and available supports.

sample measures

Hub serve as a great source of information. In the near term, this can be further strengthened by increased, cost effective omnichannel capabilities, including intelligent automation, giving stakeholders more options to interact with the RTB.

• Make it easy: As housing demands rise, integrating systems and data across agencies and stakeholders through a centralised digital platform can improve access to housingrelated public services, including rental assistance and affordable projects. The platform should be userfriendly, easily navigable, and regularly updated for accuracy.

• Make it efficient: Efficiency is vital for those impacted by the housing crisis, and swift access to information and guidance is crucial. Leveraging rich CRM features for managing unstructured communication like email and post can significantly improve the speed of access to information. A clear customer service strategy underpinned by present and future customer journey mapping and a “digital first” approach is required.

Public private partnerships

Fexco partners with digital transformation experts TEKenable to co-invest in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Salesforce Cloud Solutions, improving customer experiences in the Irish and UK markets. This partnership broadens Fexco’s offerings, including for the public sector, as digital priorities shift. Fexco’s Managed and Advisory Services, along with their partner network, offer expertise in operational delivery, CX transformation, process optimisation, customer journey mapping, data and MI services, and function-specific advisory services to help clients enhance their customer experiences.

T: 066 976 1258

E: info@fexco.com

W: www.fexco.com

• Make it clear: Clear guidance is needed for the complex and evolving rules in the rental sector. Information sources such as the RTB Information

What

are available to the housing industry to accelerate and fulfil this ambition keeping Fexco’s D.I.G.I.T.A.L framework in mind?

Scottish local government: Connecting with citizens

Martyn Wallace, Chief Digital Officer for Scottish Local Government outlines the use of the ACE (assets, citizens, and employees) formula in enabling digital transformation at local government level.

Wallace believes that ensuring data is securely stored, and overcoming poor broadband connectivity will circumvent the main obstacles preventing digital transformation taking place in a more timely manner. Reaching the rural population, Wallace believes, is a difficulty faced by Scottish local government and is analogous to challenges faced in Ireland.

“Cloud is not necessarily seen as an enabler but a disabler because we need a faster connection speed. There are infill programmes in Scotland with our 100 for Broadband and superfast schemes for premises, but that is still to be fully rolled out across the whole of Scotland, which means that we have to find different ways of competing and different ways of delivering services.”

Assets

Outlining the importance of optimising an organisation’s assets, Wallace explains: “It is necessary to look at the service components of buying, paying, filling a form in, fixed penalty notices, as well as breaking down the business components in terms of what your business is serving, what kind of services you have to do, what you have to reinvent, and what gaps need to be filled with digital services.”

He further highlights the importance of data processing, whilst additionally calling for a clear set of priorities to establish the technology which can be best utilised for the task in question.

“You have to look at the data: where is the data from, where is it held, and the technology stack. We look at technology and we get wowed by these presentations from all of the big companies. Whilst I love AI, I need to know fundamentally how that is going to affect my business.”

Wallace also emphasises the importance of ensuring that digitalisation does not mean a curbing of available services for citizens who cannot be reached online. Instead, he outlines that online users’ services can be made more efficient, which has the knock-on effect of freeing up the organisation’s workers to serve those users who are not online.

“Not everybody has access to the technology to access public services online. We have to look at the physical/online assets conundrum, which is getting as many of our services online as possible so that we can reinvest back into the offline services which serve the people who need them the most in our vulnerable society.”

Citizens

Wallace outlines his strong belief that all digital enablement and transformation must be underpinned with the recognition that devices and services must be equipped to serve regardless of their access to digital services, and that there

must be an element of digital enablement. However, he believes this is a lesser priority than using technology to streamline services wherever possible.

“Fundamentally, service design is key in all of this; designing the right thing and designing it the right way is important. It is about discussing, finding, and understanding the customers’ needs, looking at what assets you have got, the different components, and build what they want. You then need to deconstruct your existing devices and build them again, tailored to the individual user.” Asserting that there is “no correct answer” as how to define service design, Wallace adds: “Service design is something which is user central, it is user design creative, and a little bit uncomfortable like sharing your mobile phone with somebody else.

“You have to build your transformation around the user. It is human-by-default technology and data-by-design, not the other way around.”

Employees

Digital transformation was a key enabler of the working culture shift which took place during the Covid-19 lockdowns, according to Wallace.

“With the new development of hybrid work, we are still seeing businesses looking through the lens of going ‘back to normal’. People are going back to an office to sit for eight hours on Microsoft Teams meetings. I cannot think of anything worse. We have to look at this as a culture change and enable and support that.

“We need staff to have easy access to apps and models for remote learning.”

Wallace concludes by addressing widely-held concerns about the potential for jobs to be eliminated with the rise of AI and continued automation.

“Fundamentally this technology is here and it can open so many opportunities for a better work-life balance, but also improve the quality of our services for so many of our citizens as well.”

“You have to build your transformation around the user. It is human-bydefault technology and data-by-design, not the other way around.”

Martyn Wallace, Chief Digital Officer, Scottish Local Government

Digitising the courts

As documented previously across these pages the Courts Service has embarked on a 10-year Modernisation Programme of transformational change which will bring greater efficiencies and modernise how we administer the courts and provide support services to the judiciary and information to the public. From a digital and IT perspective, this means we are focusing on firstly playing catchup – bringing our systems up to date and secondly rolling out an ambitious IT strategy that will digitise our operations and provide digital options for the services we offer. In 2022, we reached the end of the Transition Phase, the first two years of the Modernisation Programme, as we embark upon the next phase, the Transform Phase with the half-way point in sight, we reflect on

what we have achieved so far and the way forward.

In order to achieve our digital ambitions, we needed to start with the basics and last year we transitioned our 1,200 staff to a new digital desktop solution. Our new solution provides the latest Microsoft cloud products to users via laptops and mobile phones – Office, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, etc. Not only does this solution provide security and reliability from an IT risk perspective it also gives staff the tools to work in a much more connected and collaborative way. The next stage of this process is to provide the judiciary with the same tools and transition to the Microsoft platform. This will allow us to build systems to enable seamless integration across all

the work of the courts. This is a carefully managed process and transitioning over 170 judges nationwide will take a number of months.

Equipped with the same standardised and reliable digital tools and technology on a versatile platform such as Microsoft, we can now support consistent digital systems for the future. A longer-term challenge is the modernisation of our case management systems, which over decades have organically grown to over 140 different systems managing various case types, with limited integration. On the Microsoft Power Platform we can now replace our legacy case management systems with a single modern platform capable of offering online services. We have put a lot of work into developing out the building blocks of a unified case management system for the courts and will start deploying this to replace legacy civil systems in the High Court and the family law systems for the Circuit Courts later this year, with others to follow.

Two years into its 10-year Modernisation Programme, the Courts Service provide an update on progress so far.

Technology enabled courtroom, Courtroom 2, Limerick Courthouse.

Also, the first new process to be built on the new platform is the system which we have developed to support the new procedures introduced with the commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making Capacity Act 2015 and Amended Act 2022 last month. The introduction of this new system, developed for all Circuit Court offices across the country receiving the new ‘capacity applications’ for the appointment of a decision-making representative, is our first case type to be developed on the unified case management system.

These key projects are the start of our move to a single digital first platform, aimed at improving our staff, judiciary, and court user experience. It will give a coherence to the way we operate and how we gather data to support our decision making. From an end-user perspective, this case management system will be capable of supporting electronic filings, payments, order collection, case tracking, and other related services via an online portal.

Digital Jury System

Bringing digital options to our users to make life easier for them is at the centre of the Modernisation Programme. We introduced the option for people who receive jury summons to reply online last November. 42 per cent of replies to jury summons are now received online through this new Digital Jury System.

From mobile phones, laptops, or tablets, people across Ireland are using the new Courts Service online portal to answer the jury summons to follow the status of their reply and to catch real time updates on any changes to their jury service details. The platform allows for 24/7 access to those who have received a summons, providing immediate updates on any changes in times, dates, or jury cancellations, and electronic responses to requests for excusals by the citizen. This new online platform reduces the reliance on paper-based processes, offering an improved customer experience that is inclusive, whilst still providing the option to reply via post if they prefer.

Technology enabled courtrooms

We have increased the number of video technology enabled courtrooms to 123

over the past two years across the country. The technology supports virtual appearances from litigants, legal professionals, expert witnesses, prisoners, and Gardaí dialling-in from remote locations to a physical courtroom with digital evidence display. The continued success of this technology and the options it offers court users were the principal drivers which led to the funding of an additional 54 courtrooms to 2024.

We plan to integrate our unified case management system with our technology enabled courtrooms so that there is more end-to-end visibility of case journeys through the court. This will also support transparency across simple aspects such as where and when is the hearing for my case, whether virtual or physical, as well as improving operational management of courtroom scheduling utilisation.

Data

The Courts process a vast amount of data on any given day. A unified case management system is part of the solution to better managing that data. However, we also recognise that we need to better understand the data we have before we build and transition to a new system. Our new head of data has commenced a number of projects to mine through, sort, organise and define the data across all systems. Improved

data will improve how we make decisions and will support the objectives detailed in the Judicial Planning Working Group recommendations, published by then-Minster for Justice Simon Harris TD earlier this year.

Offering digital routes for citizens, adding channels and services is part of our digital first approach. Alongside that approach sits our user-centric goal to design services with users for users. We have engaged extensively with users over the past two years and their feedback has informed the way in which we are designing our digital solutions. In listening to user feedback, we also understand that the existing non-digital service options are important for some users and as a result we will maintain those options as we modernise.

For more information on the Courts Service visit www.courts.ie

Technology enabled courtroom, Courtroom 11, Four Courts

Members of the Open Data Governance Board

The Open Data Governance Board (ODGP) is tasked with considering how to improve the capacity and capability of public bodies in implementing open data, and considering opportunities to maximise the value of public sector data and information for long-term economic, social and democratic benefits, making recommendations to government in this regard.

Aoife Sexton (Chairperson)

Aoife Sexton is the chief privacy officer and chief of product Innovation at Trūata. Founded by Mastercard and IBM in 2018, Trūata is a privacy-enhanced data solutions provider. Sexton has responsibility for the data science, privacy and product functions within the organisation. She is a European advisory board member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and a lecturer on data protection law at the Law Society of Ireland’s Law School as well its postgraduate courses on data protection and technology law.

Andrew O’Sullivan

Andrew O’Sullivan joined An Garda Síochána from the Central Statistics Office where he was an Assistant Director General and Chief Information officer since 2016. O’Sullivan chairs the development of the Public Service Data Strategy as a member of the Government ICT Advisory Board. In An Garda Síochána, he has overall responsibility for information and communications technology. His role also encompasses that of Chief Data Officer with responsibility for ensuring the value and quality of Garda data. O’Sullivan holds degrees in computer science, engineering management and statistics from Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin.

Barry Lowry

Barry Lowry has been the Government’s Chief Information Officer since April 2016, with the primary task of taking forward the Public Service ICT and eGovernment Strategies. These set out ambitions for developing the use of shared services, digital services and data to better serve the people of Ireland and ensure that Ireland is well-placed to benefit from European initiatives, such as the Digital Single Market. Lowry was previously the Director for IT Shared Services and Strategy, and Head of the IT Profession within the Northern Ireland Civil Service. He is a Fellow of the Irish and British computer societies and is a former winner of the BCS Northern Ireland IT Professional of the Year.

Martin Quigley

Martin Quigley has over 15 years’ experience in the public, not-for-profit and social services sector. Quigley is director of data and analytics with Pobal. He has led the development of Pobal’s data science and analytic functions, and championed the use of administrative datasets for programme and policy improvement. In 2018 Quigley and his team won the award for the best use of data science in a Public Sector Body.

Cianán Clancy

Cianán Clancy is Group Head, Commercial and Customer Propositions for Independent News and Media Plc (INM) – Ireland’s largest media group. Prior to this, Clancy served as INM’s Head of Innovation and Strategy where he supervised joint ventures, cultivated third party partnerships and guided teams in the design, build and management of scalable new businesses through lean and agile methods.

Paul Morrin

Paul Morrin is assistant Director General in the Central Statistics Office with responsibility for Statistical System Coordination. Morrin joined the Central Statistics Office as a statistician in December 1993 and has worked in a number of areas in Cork and Dublin including services statistics and national accounts. He also worked in the Department of Social Protection as a seconded statistician from April 2002 and subsequently on promotion to Senior Statistician until October 2014.

Adegboyega Ojo

Adegboyega Ojo is associate professor of management and government information systems at Maynooth University School of Business. Before his appointment at Maynooth University, he was Senior Research Fellow and Head of the E-Government Unit at the Data Science Institute, University of Galway. His current research investigates conditions for effective adoption of data-driven innovation and AI-based solutions in government and society.

Bahareh Heravi

Bahareh Heravi is an assistant professor in information and communication studies in University College Dublin and was appointed to the Board in December 2018. Heravi is a founding co-chair of the European Data and Computational Journalism Conference, and a steering committee member of the Computation and Journalism Conference. She also sits on the editorial board of the Digital Journalism journal.

Neil O’Hare

Neil O’Hare is a professor of health informatics at University College Dublin and group chief information officer for the Ireland East Hospital Group. O’Hare has held academic appointments in Dublin City University and Trinity College Dublin with research interests in health informatics, imaging and UV phototherapy dosimetry. He is the current chair of the Health Informatics Society of Ireland (HISI) and in 2019 was awarded an honorary fellowship of the Faculty of Radiology, RCSI, only the second non-radiologist to be awarded such since the establishment of the faculty in the early 1960s.

Joan O’Connor

A recently-retired senior partner with Deloitte, Joan O’Connor currently holds a number of public sector appointments including board member of the Citizens Information Board, a member of the Medical Council and NCCA audit, finance and risk committees and the Law Society Regulatory Authority complaints committee. Joan has a MA (Oxon), MA, and BA. She is a fellow of the Irish Tax Institute (FITI), a chartered tax adviser and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (FCA).

The power of accessibility: Councils save money, boost service delivery

internet. It is even more important when it comes to public sector websites, which offer services to the public,” says Tom Bamford, Annertech’s accessibility specialist.

He continues: “These services need to be available to all council residents, or users of a government website, regardless of the type of impairment they experience. It is about removing barriers to ensure equal access to all.”

The many advantages of accessibility

Having an accessible website has many benefits, from ensuring more people can use the website and creating positive brand association, to improving a site’s SEO and reducing potential legal risks.

It also affects budgets and service delivery. In a Nucleus Research study titled The Internet is Unavailable, researchers Rebecca Wettemann and Trevor White found that “companies without accessible sites are losing $6.9 billion a year to competitors whose sites are accessible”.

Although public sector websites are not focused on selling goods, the research showed how accessibility (or the lack thereof) has a negative effect on resources – organisations without accessible websites end up having to allocate additional resources to their call centres to handle the repercussions.

Public sector bodies in the European Union must ensure their websites and mobile applications are accessible to everybody, including people with disabilities.

In Ireland, it falls to the National Disability Authority (NDA) to ensure that this mandate of the EU Web Accessibility Directive is upheld. In order to do this, the NDA reviews a large number of public sector websites and mobile apps on an annual basis.

Recent NDA monitoring reports indicate that there is a lot more work to be done if the internet – especially public service websites – is to be accessible to everyone.

“Accessibility is not just a regulatory issue; it is a human rights issue. The physical aspect of disabilities has been addressed for many years now – you often see ramps for wheelchairs and guidelines for service animals etc, but the same right of access applies to the

“If you have problems with accessibility in your digital channel, you are pushing more calls, more traffic, and more work to your call centre even if consumers abandon the transaction,” Wettemann and White found.

Common accessibility issues

An accessibility audit is an evaluation of a website or service to ensure that it is usable by people of all abilities.

One word that is garnering more and more attention in the digital world is “accessibility”. This is especially important for public sector websites, writes Mark Conroy, Annertech’s Director of Development.

Consideration is given to users of assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, and assistive input devices.

The five most common issues that Annertech’s accessibility team encounter are:

1. Colour contrast issues – the difference in brightness between foreground and background colours can make a website difficult to read if there is not enough contrast.

2. Designer fonts that screen readers cannot read.

3. Alt text not being available for images. It is not just screen readers that access alt text – if an image fails to load for some reason the alt text will explain to the reader what they are missing.

4. Focus states. If a designer has designed for hover states rather than focus states, if a user is navigating a website using a keyboard there may be nothing to show the user where the cursor is

5. Accessible drop-down menus. As with focus states, a user on a website needs a visual cue so they know where they are on the menu. It must also be easy to navigate through the menu using a keyboard.

All of these accessibility issues are “fixable”. However, the best and easiest way to ensure accessibility is to work it into the design and development process.

In other words, start with accessibility, rather than retrospectively trying to fix it.

This can be done by using a platform that is already set up to be accessible. One example of such a platform is LocalGov Drupal.

LocalGov Drupal: An accessible solution for councils

LocalGov Drupal is a publishing platform created by councils, for councils, using the open-source Drupal CMS.

It is gaining in popularity: 35 councils in the UK and Ireland have joined the project. Annertech has been involved with LocalGov Drupal since the beta phase and is credited with bringing it to Ireland.

There are many advantages to LocalGov Drupal: It saves councils money and time, and websites can be developed quickly. The features are tried and tested, and it is a secure CMS.

Why Annertech?

• Annertech is Ireland’s largest, dedicated open-source digital agency, specialising in the Drupal CMS. It is the only Gold Certified Drupal partner in Ireland.

• Annertech has years of experience working on government and council websites. Clients include Dublin City Council, Limerick City and County Council, Fingal County Council, Cork County Council and Tipperary County Council (a LocalGov Drupal website).

• Annertech's director of development Mark Conroy is leader of the front-end working group of LocalGov Drupal.

But one of its biggest advantages is that websites built on LocalGov Drupal are accessible out-of-the-box because the project is designed to meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 level AA.

LocalGov Drupal developers are currently working on making sure LocalGov Drupal meets the newly released WCAG 2.2 guidelines.

Conclusion

Although it is always better to start accessibility at the conception stage of a website, or to consider a platform that is accessible out-of-the-box such as LocalGovDrupal, websites that are already up and running can be changed to be more inclusive.

Annertech’s accessibility audits identify issues and offer recommendations on how to fix them and Annertech’s accessibility team are on hand to implement any changes.

The quicker a website is assessed the sooner work can begin on ensuring it is accessible to everyone.

T: 01 524 0312

E: hello@annertech.com

W: www.annertech.com/localgovdrupal

Welsh Government: Social media expands government-public engagement

Laura Truelove, Senior Digital Content Manager at the Welsh Government, explains how simple communication, use of humour, and authentic content can build a strong social media platform and foster a better relationship between government and the public.

Entering the role in 2019, Truelove explains how prior to the Welsh Government establishing a social media team, that social media was not utilised to its fullest potential.

“In 2019, we had very few followers – in the tens of thousands – and there was a very much ‘post and run’ approach to the social media strategy. It was a case of posting a press release online and going no further, and there was definitely no engagement like replying to comments.”

Everything Welsh

Truelove has used analytics software, which she believes gives her the opportunity to cater the content of the Welsh Government’s social media to the needs and interests of the people of Wales.

She explains how the Covid crisis, and

subsequently more visible role of First Minister Mark Drakeford MS emphasised to her the sense of Welshness among the nation’s population.

“We could see a remarkable political awakening within Wales. We saw people commenting on social media with things like ‘Boris is not my leader’ and ‘we have our own government and our own rules’. It made the First Minister a household name in a way we had not seen before.”

Amid this context, she explains the rationale for the modus operandi of the Welsh Government’s social media account. “We are proud of Wales and its history, people, language, and communities, and we are on the side of the people of Wales.

“We are striving for equality, committed to sustainability, and we are transforming Wales and

supporting research, innovation, and creativity. We are laying the foundations now to benefit future generations. It is quite simple, and it goes straight to the point.”

Truelove further elucidates on the use of software such as Meltwater to analyse the demographics and posts which were successful among the Welsh Government’s audience. “We got a really good idea for things like knowing that our audience was, as you may expect, rugby mad. They love anything to do with Welsh pride and anything which is Welsh.”

She continues: “We champion Cymraeg. We have a mission to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050 and we cannot get there as a government without getting people to come with us on that journey. We very much take a team Wales approach to everything we do.

“We are primarily a rugby-mad nation, but we made sure that people also saw our support for the Welsh football team as they qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 62 years. It is about getting behind our nation at any opportunity available.”

The opportunity presented by Covid

“At the start of 2020, the Welsh Government had around 12,000 Facebook followers. By the end of that year the number was up to 130,000 and today, we stand at around 180,000,” Truelove explains, adding: “This trend can be seen across all of our channels.”

She adds: “During the pandemic people turned to us for reliable information; they wanted to get information about the pandemic from a trustworthy source, but also, they needed to follow us to know what they could or could not do during the pandemic, and how they could stay safe. The trend can be seen across the channels, particularly with the First Minister’s Twitter account.”

She also states how an unlikely collaboration between Goldie Lookin’ Chain, a comedy hip-hop group, and the Government led to increased interest and visibility for the Government’s message on Covid vaccine uptake. “It was something quite different, people did not expect us to collaborate with them. It got a bit of backlash but that also meant that more people watched the video.”

Authenticity and no jargon

Strong and authentic social media content can succeed in creating a relationship between governments and the public, according to Truelove.

She cites a viral video of the Welsh First Minister, where he was asked by retired cheesemonger, Joe Bangles, about his favourite type of cheese, and his response gaining notoriety on the internet.

Indeed, an opinion poll released at the time even showed a temporary uptick in support for Welsh Labour (which Drakeford leads) from 7 per cent behind the Welsh Conservatives to a 14 per cent lead in May 2020.

“After it went viral, we were a little worried people might think it would not be appropriate for the First Minister of Wales, but many people came out to say that it was nice to see this side of him and that it makes him more relatable. It was our realisation that we had something special in our First Minister and that we should take more risks.”

Concluding, Truelove states that, in addition to analysing your social media audience with software, that the key to continuing interest is avoiding commonly used government jargon and acronyms.

“You need to speak to the people in their terms and their language; we speak from our government in a way which is informal, chatty, and inclusive.”

Laura Truelove, Senior Digital Content Manager, Welsh Government

The internet needs guardians, guides, and stewards

our registrants, Registrars and internet users.

We promote and encourage national internet governance through consumer protection protocols, policies and security programmes that coordinate and shape the national namespace, in line with international best practices.

Managed registry model: Only individuals and businesses with a provable connection to Ireland can register a .ie domain, and applications from new customers are manually reviewed to ensure that they meet this requirement. This process keeps the .ie domain largely free from registrations by bad actors with their quick-moving scams and other illegal activities that unmanaged registries cannot detect as easily.

Consumer protection protocols: We have created consumer protection protocols with regulators to address online illegality and to permit ‘take-down’ of websites under certain circumstances. We operate a Regulatory Authority Protocol for dealing with illegal content on .ie websites. The regulatory authorities who we engage with include the Corporate Enforcement Authority, the Competition and Consumer Protection Authority, the Central Bank, the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau and ComReg, in addition to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, the Health Products Regulatory Authority and the National Transport Authority.

The digital transformation of our economy and society has been monumental. With the ever-increasing digitalisation of personal and work life, it has become increasing evident that cyber threats, be they by criminals or nation-state actors, pose an evolving risk to the everyday working of society.

It is also a time of significant regulatory change. The EU Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2) regulations are upon us and must be implemented by member states by October 2024. This Directive aims to achieve a high common level of cybersecurity across EU member states and to create a high level of harmonisation with regard to security requirements and reporting obligations

across the EU. It is essential that the Government and relevant organisations come together to ensure that businesses across Ireland are ready to implement the required regulations.

More than ever, the internet needs guardians, guides, and stewards to ensure and promote good internet governance.

Internet governance

At .IE, good internet governance permeates our strategic priorities. We seek to protect .ie domain holders and to adopt policies, processes and procedures that take account of the need for balance, having regard to the respective roles and responsibilities of

Dispute Resolution: We have an easyto-use Dispute Resolution service with independent third party dispute resolution agencies – WIPO and EU Net Neutrals. We have proactively introduced anti-abuse measures, in cooperation with stakeholders (via our Policy Advisory Committee) and our Registrar channel.

Policies: We have a range of policies and rules to protect consumers, safeguard registrants and promote good internet governance. These can be found at www.weare.ie/our-policies.

Stakeholder dialogue and democracy: We welcome and facilitate this through our multi-stakeholder and consensusdriven Policy Advisory Committee.

Cyber threats have grown exponentially and there is significant change in the global regulatory environment impacting cybersecurity and data protection. Strong internet governance is critical writes David Curtin, CEO of .IE, the national registry for .ie domain names.

Technical excellence

In 2019, .IE was designated as an Operator of Essential Services (OES) under the original EC NIS Directive. Our technical services team provides a range of services, which underpin the .ie namespace, a critical part of Ireland’s national internet infrastructure. These services are important for every business, individual, community, or government service, which uses the .ie internet address.

Operating an essential service: We have a 20-year track record of investing in and developing the national domain name system (DNS) infrastructure, which is robust and resilient.

High availability mission-critical systems and services: Operating the national registry for the .ie namespace requires the highest levels of security, stability, and resilience of networks and infrastructure. We manage and maintain the registry’s high availability systems, mission-critical services and infrastructure in accordance with international best practices.

Managing the database of .ie domain names: The database is the authoritative record of who has the ‘right to use’ a particular .ie domain name. It is updated, in real time, for changes requested by Registrars, acting on the instructions of registrants. Registrars’ APIs can submit requests 24/7/365, so database uptime and resilience is of critical national importance. We also run zone file updates, 12 times every day.

Operating the WHOIS directory: The WHOIS directory is an online lookup service, which provides valuable information on every .ie domain name. This service is provided free of charge on our website, www.weare.ie. We do not show an individual’s personal information, in accordance with GDPR principles and requirements. Access is controlled with daily limits and fair usage policies apply. In 2020, the usefulness of the WHOIS service was extended with the addition of an abuse contact facility, in the public interest.

Tackling cybercrime: Our locking service prevents unauthorised changes to important .ie addresses and stops web hijacking. We offer cryptographic authentication for responses received from authoritative DNS servers (DNSSEC), providing a more secure Domain Name System (DNS) which reduces phishing risks. We also provide an additional layer of security to owners of a .ie domain name, free of charge. This service provides a constant scanning of .ie sites and involves instant notification to an SME’s hosting provider, who can help them take the corrective action once a scam has been detected. This is invaluable as it helps innocent victims, such as SMEs, who

might be unaware that they have experienced a cyberattack, to take the required remediation action.

Adhering to internet security and standards: We adhere to official internet specifications, communications protocols and procedures published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), an open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the internet architecture and the smooth operation of the internet.

At .IE, we are passionate about enabling and empowering Ireland to leverage the internet for the good of its society and economy. With .ie domains, we provide a trusted pathway to unlock the power of the internet for people and businesses across Ireland.

Together with our partners, we are enabling a better Ireland online through our technical and policy-based guardianship of the national critical infrastructure.

E: marketing@weare.ie

W: www.weare.ie

Ireland’s digital services: Statistical overview

Ireland’s overall DESI ranking

Ireland ranks 5th out of 27 EU member states in the 2022 Digital Economy and Society Index

Ireland’s score in the DESI 2022 ranking: 62.7%

Average EU score in the DESI 2022 ranking: 52.3%

Average yearly relative score growth between 2017 and 2022: 8.5%

Source: DESI 2022

Digital public services

Ireland ranks 6th out of 27 EU member states in overall digital public services score

Ireland’s overall integration of digital technology score is 83.5%

Average EU integration of digital technology score is 67.3%

eGovernment users: 92%

EU average: 65%

Pre-filled forms: 59/100

EU average: 64/100

Digital public services for citizens: 80/100

EU average: 75/100

Digital public services for businesses: 100/100

EU average: 82/100

Open data: 95%

EU average: 81%

Source: DESI 2022

Integration of digital technology

Ireland ranks 7th out of 27 EU member states in overall integration of digital technology score

Ireland’s overall integration of digital technology score is 43.3

Average EU integration of digital technology score is 36.1

SMEs with at least a basic level of digital intensity: 64%

EU average: 55%

Electronic information sharing: 24%

EU average: 38%

Social media: 32%

EU average: 29%

Big data: 23%

EU average: 14%

Cloud: 47%

EU average: 34%

AI: 8%

EU average: 8%

SMEs selling online: 33%

EU average: 18%

Source: DESI 2022

Empowering Higher Education Through Quality IT Shared Services

reporting tools has elevated client collaboration, leading to increased knowledge sharing across the sector. EduCampus Services continues to facilitate its clients in positioning themselves for growth and success in the ever-evolving education sector.

Annual conference

“We remain committed to quality in all aspects of our operations and services, while delivering value for money through efficiencies at multiple levels, including economies of scale, aggregated demand, and synergies with our parent company HEAnet CLG.”

EduCampus offers a portfolio of five key, cloud-hosted business applications that are essential to the operation of any higher education institution, as set out below.

Key achievements

On 8 March 2023, EduCampus once again hosted its annual conference at the Convention Centre, Dublin. This year’s event was titled ‘Digital Transformation for Higher Education in Ireland’ and speakers on the day included: Joseph Ryan, Chair, EduCampus Board and CEO THEA; Paddy Naughton, EduCampus CEO; Ronan Laffan, Head of Advisory Services, Version 1; Gavin Barber, Deputy Director of Academic and Student Administration at Oxford Brookes University; and Jason MilesCampbell, Director of Jisc Scotland and Jisc Northern Ireland.

It was a fantastic day of learning, networking, and sharing insights into current and emerging trends in the higher education and research sector including the opportunity to participate in a lively panel discussion and reconnect with colleagues. The seminar presentation slides, and video link can be viewed at educampus.ie.

The future

Through its operations, a range of business-critical management information systems are procured, implemented, maintained, and supported for an array of clients, spanning the universities, institutes of technology and technological universities.

As CEO of EduCampus since its establishment, Paddy Naughton has led the development of the organisation ensuring the provision of quality shared services to the higher education sector. “The EduCampus service offering is designed to reduce costs, save time, increase efficiency, and mitigate risk for our client members,” Naughton says.

Since its establishment, EduCampus Services has had a strategic focus on transitioning all applications from onpremise to cloud-based solutions.

The latest phase of the MIS Refresh Programme has seen all institutes of technology, and four technological universities fully transition to the stateof-the-art cloud-hosted Banner 9 system for student records management, resulting in an enhanced experience for students and staff, optimised process efficiencies, improved data integrity, as well as a future-proofed secure solution for the client base.

Introducing these new technologies and

As technology in higher education continues to evolve, EduCampus will continue to collaborate with its clients to stay ahead of the curve, adapting to the changing needs of the sector, while providing the best services and solutions to its ever-expanding client base. EduCampus will continue to provide transformational leadership and harness emerging concepts to support the higher education and research sector in Ireland.

E: info@educampus.ie

W: www.educampus.ie

Established in 2015, EduCampus Services is a dynamic company providing IT shared services that support 20,000 staff and 140,000 students across the higher education sector in Ireland.

Ireland has midranking eGovernment maturity

The most recent European eGovernment benchmark, published in July 2022, has ranked Ireland 17th out of 35 European nations for eGovernment maturity, with a score of 71 per cent, slightly above the European average of 68 per cent.

The eGovernment Benchmark sheds light on eGovernment in 35 European countries, referred to as the ‘EU27+’ which are the 27 European Union member states, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Türkiye.

The average European score shows that there is a considerably way to go if the potential benefits of maximised eGovernment maturity are to be realised throughout the continent. Although Ireland is ranked slightly above average, there is scope for improve in all European nations, hence a set of policy recommendations from the European Commission are included in the benchmark, with the aim to uplift eGovernment maturity across the continent.

Three policy takeaways

Rethink the user: With many different types of users to serve, the report outlines how user-centric design must meet each person’s needs, including those with certain disabilities or with low digital skills. This study shows that governments can improve their provision of inclusive eGovernment services. To achieve this, the report recommends that governments:

• consider the needs of both citizens and businesses, for which currently 77 per cent and 91 per cent, respectively, of services are online;

• tailor services for nationals as well as cross-border users, who can complete 81 per cent versus 46 per cent of services digitally;

• ensure perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust websites for persons with disabilities, as only 16 per cent of the websites currently meet selected web accessibility criteria;

• serve users with different devices, as 77 per cent of selected services are accessible online via desktop computers, while only 62 per cent are accessible via smartphones and tablets, with lower eID, eDocuments, and authentic sources integration for mobile users; and

• co-create services with users, currently done by one third of the governments, as well as raise awareness, simplify services, offer support, and provide alternative channels to embrace eGovernment diversity, guided by European values and principles.

Realign the user journey: Citizen and business life events often involve services from multiple government entities. The report states that well-orchestrated government networks are needed to serve users along their entire journey. Achieving this will involve:

• overcoming service gaps across multiple layers of government. In

Europe, 84 per cent of all services provided by central government organisations are available online, while 71 per cent of regional services and only 60 per cent of local services can be completed digitally; and

• leveraging the role of government portals, through which 93 per cent of all services can be found. This will enable users to complete all services related to their life event via single one-stop-shops. Breaking down departmental silos where possible and acting as one government with clear governance will ease end-to-end service delivery and ensure user journeys can be completed in full and all in one interaction.

Reinforce the interoperability ambition: Well-implemented and interoperable key enabling technologies build the foundations for the next generation of eGovernment, the report explains. Public administrations, established IT providers, innovative start-ups, and other innovators are urged to:

• promote interoperable data exchange to deliver more services proactively and increase the current level of just 6 per cent. Connected and consistent systems also enable governments to pre-fill more online application forms with information already known, currently at 67 per cent. Whenever personal data is reused in forms, this should be visible in more personal data monitoring solutions, currently available with 58 per cent of governments; and

• pave the way for future eIDs, for example by resolving login issues, as currently less than half (46 per cent) of the services allow a single sign-on. Moreover, users can login with their eID for three quarters of central government services, but only for about one-third of regional and local administrations. Wider implementation of interoperable solutions will create a more consistent eGovernment experience for different users, different services providers, and across European countries.

Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform

A Department spokesperson said: “The European Commission’s eGovernment Benchmark 2022 focused on four key dimensions: user centricity, transparency, key enablers and cross-border services. Ireland considerably outperformed the EU27+ average on three of the four dimensions. On the fourth, key enablers, Ireland is continuing to rapidly improve against the assessed technical preconditions.

“In terms of uptake and usage of the State eID, Ireland is one on the fastest growing countries in the world and our developing digital wallet will provide strong ID on mobile and tablet devices. Moreover, our digital postbox is gaining traction and the recently commenced Gov.ie 2.0 project will introduce e-forms, life events, and an e-document archive. This progress in providing digital access to public services is reflected in Ireland’s position of 6th out of 27 EU members in the European Commission’s Digital Public Services in the Digital Economy and Society Index 2022.”

eGovernment maturity in the EU27+

EU27+: 68%

Albania 46% (#32)

Austria 76% (#13)

Belgium 74% (#14)

Bulgaria 61% (#23)

Croatia 61% (#25)

Cyprus 50% (#30)

Czech Republic63% (#22)

Denmark 84% (#7)

Estonia 90% (#2)

Finland 85% (#6)

France 70% (#18)

Germany 63% (#21)

Greece 52% (#29)

Hungary 66% (#20)

Iceland 86% (#4)

Ireland 71% (#17)

Italy 61% (#24)

Latvia 80% (#9)

Lithuania 83% (#8)

Luxembourg 87% (#3)

Malta 96% (#1)

Montenegro38% (#35)

Netherlands 85% (#5)

North Macedonia35% (#35)

Norway 79% (#10)

Poland 55% (#27)

Portugal 78% (#12)

Romania 42% (#33)

Serbia 49% (#31)

Slovakia 60% (#26)

Slovenia 67% (#19)

Spain 79% (#11)

Sweden 74% (#15)

Switzerland 55% (#28

Türkiye 72% (#16)

Source: European Commission

Energy Ireland 2023

Energy Ireland 2023 took place on 11 and 12 May at Croke Park, Dublin. Over 300 delegates attended the two-day event which was opened with an address from Matthew Baldwin, European Commission. Delegates in attendance heard from 43 speakers, both visiting and local, from organisations including the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications; European Commission; Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland; ESB; Oxford Institute for Energy Studies; SSE; Commission for Regulation of Utilities; Bord Gáis Energy; Gas Networks Ireland; and University of Warwick.

Matthew Baldwin, European Commission; Tanya Harrington, Renewable Energy Ireland; William Walsh, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland; and Linda Clarke, Goodbody.

Matthew Baldwin, European Commission addresses the Energy Ireland delegates.

John Reilly, Bord na Móna; Klair Neenan, SSE Airtricity; Cathal Marley, Gas Networks Ireland; Dave Kirwan, Bord Gáis Energy; Paddy Hayes, ESB and Tanya Harrington, Renewable Energy Ireland take part in a panel discussion.

Ciaran Fahy and Teresa Purtill, Bord Gáis Energy.

Energy Ireland 2023 crowd.

The ‘women in energy’ panel discussion with Catherine Sheridan, Green Rebel; Mary O’Connor, ESB; Tanya Harrington, Renewable Energy Ireland; and Caoimhe McLoughlin, KPMG.

Brian Ó Gallachóir, UCC asks the panel a question.

Conor Cronin, Simply Blue Group and Shane McCormack, Fingleton White.

Jim Gannon, Commission for the Regulation of Utilities.

Shannon Oldfield and Claire Madden, Gas Networks Ireland.

Michael Brandon, Dublin City University; Ruairi Williamson, Hitachi and Yanan Zhang, Hitachi.

A delegate visits the Jacobs exhibition stand.

Ian O'Flynn, Gas Networks Ireland and Catherine Sheridan, Green Rebel.

Paul Münnich, Agora Energiewende addresses delegates.

Mairead McGuinness: 50 years of Ireland in the EU

The 50th anniversary of Ireland’s accession to the European Union is a great opportunity to reflect on where we stand in Europe and where we are heading, writes European Commissioner for Financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union, Mairead McGuinness.

One of the EU’s founding documents is the Schuman Declaration – the vision of former French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman to create unity and solidarity in the wake of the Second World War. Schuman’s words remain relevant today: “Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto solidarity.”

In 1973, when it joined, Ireland was a relatively poor and underdeveloped country on the periphery of Europe, depending significantly on the UK market. Divorce, contraception, and homosexuality were still illegal, and the

marriage bar was still in place. 50 years later, Ireland looks very different. We are a much more prosperous country, at the heart of the EU.

Ireland has made progress not only economically, but also socially, with EU equality law helping end the marriage bar and supporting moves towards equal pay and parental leave. We have gone from being a net beneficiary of the EU budget for many years to now being a net contributor.

But the EU is a project in constant change. Progress is not always inevitable and over the 50 years there have been setbacks. Some will

remember the beef mountains – not long after we joined; we had food scares; we had the financial and sovereign debt crisis.

More recently we have dealt with Brexit, Covid and now Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. And with each of these crises, there was a realisation that a common European response and solidarity among member states was the only way to deal with them.

Ireland saw EU solidarity in action as we faced specific impacts of the UK’s decision to leave the EU. I recall that in many debates in the European Parliament on the topic of Brexit, MEPs from Germany, Croatia, Portugal, to mention a few, stood up in the chamber in Strasbourg and Brussels, and they spoke about the issues impacting Ireland and Northern Ireland. It was a real sign of EU integration – of looking out for each other – and we need more of it.

The initial fears that Brexit would be the start of the disintegration of the EU did not materialise. Rather there was a determination to avoid that happening, by working closer and better together.

The difficult political debates and severely strained relationship between the EU27 and the UK had to be overcome to reach a new way forward. The EU collaborated to find that way forward. First, it reached the Withdrawal Agreement, then the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, with the UK. More recently – after many setbacks – we now have the Windsor Framework.

This was all about recognising the unique situation of Northern Ireland and wanting to make sure there were no border on the island of Ireland. And this allows the EU, and the UK could leave behind the worst post-Brexit days.

It is worth recalling that Ireland, the UK, and Denmark joined the then EEC in 1973. As Ireland and Denmark celebrate their 50 years of engagement, the UK continues to find its path outside the EU.

Europe has shown and continues to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s illegal invasion. This also posed other challenges for the EU as Russia weaponised its gas supplies. This was a wake-up call for the EU to which it

responded by diversifying its supply chain and becoming much more efficient in using energy. The EU has continued to ramp up investment in renewable energy to meet its energy needs and address climate change.

The resilience of the EU’s 27 member states is impressive in the face of major shocks and challenges. The world is becoming much more multipolar. We found during Covid that we were overdependent on medicinal supplies. We discovered our overreliance on fossil fuels from an unreliable supplier. Today, conscious of these vulnerabilities, the EU is focused on open strategic autonomy. The EU is examining where it may be overly dependent on other countries, including for key components of the renewable energy sector. And it will strengthen its own capacity where necessary.

Tackling climate change is the EU’s biggest challenge and we must act and work with global partners to avoid irreversible damage. The EU is leading the way with the European Green Deal that aims for climate neutrality by 2050. It ties in with my own work on sustainable finance, which seeks to help investors, financial institutions and companies move towards a more sustainable path. The debate around security and defence is beginning to grow, including at the Irish level. I think we are mature enough, as a society, to have an open dialogue on what we want for Ireland’s security and defence in the context of our membership of the EU. Any discussion on security must include cybersecurity threats.

In 1972, I was too young to vote in the referendum to join the EEC. But I am grateful to those who had the vision and courage to propel our country forward. We have come a long way. At the age of 13, I was not to know that the EU would become central to my life and work, as a member of the European Parliament and now Ireland’s EU Commissioner.

The resilience of the EU’s 27 member states is impressive in the face of major shocks and challenges.

Mairead McGuinness, Commissioner for Financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union, European Commission

Ireland’s EU membership: A timeline

1957 Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands form the European Economic Community and European Atomic Energy Community. Together, they are known as the ‘European Communities’ and share common institutions.

1961 Ireland applies to join the European Communities. This application is withdrawn after President of France Charles de Gaulle opposes the UK’s application and any expansion of the Communities.

1964 In Costa v ENEL, the European Court of Justice establishes the primacy of European Community law meaning a constitutional amendment is needed in order to avoid a conflict with Bunreacht na hÉireann, which had granted powers exclusively to the Oireachtas and the Government.

1967 Ireland lodges a second application to join the European Community.

1972 The six member states sign a Treaty of Accession with Denmark, Ireland, Norway and the UK. Ireland’s prospective membership is centred around the European Economic Community.

1972 Voters support European Community membership in a referendum with 83.1% in favour and 16.9% against.

1973 Ireland’s membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) officially begins on 1 January 1973. The North also joins on the same date through the UK’s admission.

1975 Ireland hosts the presidency of the European Council for the first time, under Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave.

1979 The first elections to the European Parliament are held. Ireland elects 15 representatives, or Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). A further three MEPs are elected in the North.

1986 President Patrick Hillery signs the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1986 bringing the provisions of the Single European Act into Irish law. However, an injunction is successfully sought from the High Court preventing the Government from ratifying the Treaty without a referendum.

April 1987 In Crotty v An Taoiseach, the Supreme Court rules that as the Single European Act “was a significant and decisive step along the path to a single European foreign policy” it can only be ratified by referendum. This sets a precedent for every European Treaty being put to a referendum in Ireland.

May 1987 70% of the electorate vote in favour of the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1986 in a referendum.

1993 69.1% of the electorate vote yes to the Maastricht Treaty, with the European Economic Community (EEC) becoming the European Union (EU). The treaty paves the way for the creation of an Economic and Monetary Union leading to the eurozone.

French president Charles de Gaulle visiting Kerry in 1969.

Credit: National library of Ireland

Former Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave oversaw Ireland’s first European Council presidency.

Credit: David Hume Kennerly

1998 Ireland holds a referendum on the Treaty of Amsterdam on 22 May 1998. The referendum is passed with 61.74% of the electorate voting yes. This lays the groundwork for a further enlargement of the EU and reform of its institutions.

1998 A peace agreement, the Good Friday Agreement, is reached in the North. The agreement ensures an open border and freedom of movement between north and south, and is de facto predicated upon the EU membership of both Ireland and the UK.

2001 Ireland holds a referendum on the Treaty of Nice. It is the first European referendum to be rejected by the people. The referendum is defeated with 53.9% of the electorate voting no.

2002 A second referendum on the Nice Treaty is passed with 62.89% voting in favour after the Bertie Ahern Government obtains a declaration that the Treaty does not undermine Irish neutrality.

2002 Ireland adopts the euro as its currency, whilst the North remains using pound sterling as the UK does not join the eurozone.

2008 The Lisbon Treaty referendum is defeated with 53.4% of the electorate voting no. Ireland is the only member state to hold a referendum on the Treaty and its rejection takes the EU by surprise.

2009 In a second referendum, 67% of voters in Ireland vote for the Lisbon Treaty after Brian Cowen’s Government obtains a number of guarantees from EU leaders, including a commitment that the Treaty will not affect Irish law or policy on issues such as neutrality or tax.

2010 Following a banking and ultimately a fiscal crisis, the Government agrees to formally request financial support through a ‘bail-out’ package worth €85 billion, with the EU/ECB/IMF troika becoming heavily involved in Ireland’s financial decisions.

2016 The UK votes to leave the EU, leading to fears over a new ‘hard border’ on the island as the North is forced to leave despite voting remain by 56%.

2017 During the Brexit negotiations, Taoiseach Enda Kenny successfully negotiates that, in the event of a united Ireland, the North would be automatically be readmitted into the EU. Irish citizens resident in the North are also assured that they will keep their EU citizenship.

2020 The UK formally leaves the EU. To prevent economic and political instability, the North leaves on different trade terms to the rest of the UK, requiring customs checks for goods travelling between Britain and the North. This ‘Irish Sea border’ angers northern unionists, who demand that the North leaves on the same terms as the rest of the UK.

2023 Ireland marks 50 years as a member of the European Union.

The ‘Irish Sea border’ has caused anger among northern unionists.

A poster from the Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign.

Former IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde discussing the EUIMF bailout with former Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore in 2013.

Credit: Daniel Finnan

Credit: IMF

Oireachtas.ie: Helping communicate the work of parliament

Karin Whooley, web manager with the Houses of the Oireachtas Service, sits down with Ciarán Galway to discuss Oireachtas.ie – the official website of the national parliament – its role communicating the work of parliament, and its contribution to the Service’s wider Digital Transformation Programme.

Characterising herself as being content orientated, Whooley joined the Houses of the Oireachtas Service in late 2014 to work on the Banking Inquiry website. Having assumed the web manager role within the communications unit, she was initially at the forefront of the digital transformation, tasked with making Oireachtas.ie a more useable website.

“When I started with the Houses of the Oireachtas Service, the goal was to deliver a root and branch transformation of the website. I was keen to see if we could be

more efficient by plugging into other systems that exist across the Oireachtas. For example, we now have an API (application programming interface) that pulls in the Debates Office’s data and styles it, on-the-fly, with no manual intervention by us,” she explains.

Taking approximately two years to complete the project, Oireachtas.ie now has four automatic pipelines:

1. bills and acts;

2. debates;

3. Gaeilge translation; and

4. scheduling information.

Evolving role

Since the implementation of the Oireachtas.ie project, the web manager role has evolved. “I now operate at a more strategic level. This means I focus on ways to consume content and data from digital projects being implemented through the Service’s Digital Transformation Programme.

“For example, there is real-time data due to come onstream later in 2023 as part of digital signage on campus. I will be working closely with the ICT unit for a way to display that data on Oireachtas.ie so that the website schedule becomes a dynamic schedule rather than a static one. Everything we do is oriented towards delivering a digital parliament and ensuring that Oireachtas.ie does its utmost to showcase an open and engaged parliament.”

Meanwhile, Whooley’s small team is focused on the day-to-day content, design, and development associated with publishing the work of the Oireachtas. They create content for public engagement events, centenaries, special addresses; they manage incoming public queries; they manage the daily publication of reports, opening statements, press releases and corporate documents; and they manage livestreaming, one of the most popular areas of the website.

Audience

When the Oireachtas.ie project was initiated in 2016, a significant volume of research was undertaken. In 2023, some of this research was repeated. Despite the time lapse, 95 per cent of respondents indicated that they were happy with the visual design of Oireachtas.ie, while 69 per cent of users indicated they were very or extremely satisfied with the content on the website. However, Whooley accepts that a minority of users can struggle to always find what they are looking for and that “we still have work to do”. Oireachtas.ie stakeholders, which include Oireachtas members, civil servants, and journalists, have different needs regarding content. With such a diverse audience, the web manager acknowledges that it can be “difficult to meet every need, every time”.

“We are operating in a world where some stakeholders may only be interested in one thing. For instance, a newly published bill or how a particular TD might have voted.

“Oireachtas.ie is so large—it contains more than one million URLs—that it can be tough to prioritise some users’ needs. So, we focus on meeting most users’ needs, most of the time. It is a balancing act, but the recent survey indicates that Oireachtas.ie is delivering for most of its users.”

Web unit

Describing the web unit as a “well-oiled machine” within which each of its five members know their exact role, Whooley notes: “The web section’s role is to act as a conduit, to ensure that the work of other sections is appropriately reflected on Oireachtas.ie, and that it is accurate and current.

“Although we sit within the broader communications unit, our work is completely aligned with the ongoing digital transformation. As new applications and data emerge from across the various offices and sections of parliamentary services, we work with the ICT unit to fully integrate any relevant data into Oireachtas.ie.

“When we receive a request from other sections for new content or a new section on the website, we always approach the build from a strategic perspective. Can we deliver what is requested? What’s the longterm plan for maintenance? Do we need new development work? If so, how much? The ICT unit and the web unit collaborate on all new technical development. We take an agile approach, in terms of project management, working in clearly defined sprints to deliver new features.

“During our latest sprint, which focused on accessibility improvements, we made small visual changes across the website, including a ‘listen’ link at the top of every

page so that users can have content read aloud. We also added the schedule for the Oireachtas TV channel to the homepage because it is a major component of the Houses of the Oireachtas Service.”

User-centred design

Defining user-centred design as an iterative process primarily concerned with creating a logical user experience from a linguistic, visual, and functional perspective, Whooley explains how the framework is at the heart of the web unit’s work.

“Having come from a design and contentled background, I focus on user-centred design. In 2016, we conducted a significant amount of research with users. We completed substantial testing with prototype designs, re-wrote our content in plain English, and developed a web style guide to ensure consistency across the site. This approach ties in with the wider Oireachtas strategy to deliver an open and engaged parliament.”

Applying user-centred design principles, therefore, is essential to the work of the Oireachtas.ie team. Much of the work of the Oireachtas is complicated and so they test with real users, including people in government departments and within the Oireachtas.

“We generally test new functionality by asking a user to do tasks in a prototype,”

“Oireachtas.ie does its utmost to showcase an open and engaged parliament.”

Karin Whooley, Web Manager, Houses of the Oireachtas Service

Whooley remarks, elaborating: “For example, can users find a specific deputy’s most recent contributions in the Dáil? If this is a struggle, we must identify that challenge, interrogate it, and re-test the revised design. It is about iterating design to improve it.”

Video-on-demand

Discussing the next major project for Oireachtas.ie, the web manager has set her sights on implementing video-on-demand technology. “While previously we could not implement video-on-demand, it is now firmly among the web section’s ambitions. This is sophisticated in that it is intended to align video with debates so that it can be accessed immediately. The objective is to become more akin to a YouTube streaming experience, making video as accessible and searchable as the transcript of the same debate or committee meeting,” she says.

This is a challenge given the significant volume of video produced in the Oireachtas, however, Whooley is determined to invest in the opportunity, collaborating with the ICT and broadcasting sections, to determine what is possible. While this will incorporate video from 2016 until present, it could also include the older archive dating back to 1990 which is currently being digitised by the broadcasting section.

Profile: Karin Whooley

A native of Sligo, now living in Dublin, Karin Whooley is the Web Manager with the Houses of the Oireachtas Service where she leads its web initiatives. A graduate of Trinity College Dublin and TU Dublin, Whooley worked in traditional print publishing in Ireland for several years before joining LookSmart, a web directory and search service, in Melbourne, Australia. Returning to Ireland, she joined Dell before moving into the public sector. Prior to joining the Houses of the Oireachtas Service, she worked with National Centre for Technology in Education/PDST Technology in Education. Outside of work, Whooley’s interests include reading and politics.

Ambition

Beyond that, the web unit aims to continue to align with Digital Transformation Programme. “In an organisation like the Houses of the Oireachtas Service, it is detrimental to operate in a silo,” Whooley explains, concluding: “It is imperative that we leverage the opportunities being delivered by the Digital Transformation Programme and that our web publishing processes become as efficient as possible. I am keen to explore how we can deliver improved services to members and to sections that produce important outputs, such as the Library and Research Service and the Parliamentary Budget Office. The website is an important communication tool for those sections of the Oireachtas too.

“We need to continue working on creative ways to present content and find new ways to allow some of our niche content to shine. Oireachtas.ie is like a living thing, it is always growing and changing and we have to grow and change our practices with it.”

“The web section’s role is to act as conduit to ensure that the work of other sections is adequately reflected on Oireachtas.ie, and that it is accurate, current, and visually optimised.”

More TDs in next Dáil

An Coimisiún Toghcháin was established as a statutory agency in February 2023 under the aegis of the Electoral Reform Act 2022. In practical terms, it is an electoral commission that merges the roles which were previously carried out by three statutory agencies: the Constituency Commission, the Referendum Commission, and the Local Electoral Area Boundary Committee.

The commission’s membership may consist of between seven and nine members: a chair appointed from the judiciary, two ex-officio members, and between four and six ordinary members. With a population of 5,123,536 people and a total of 160 TDs, the average number of people per TD in the State is 32,022, meaning that an increase in the number of TDs will be required under the limits set within Bunreacht na hÉireann.

The Constitution states that political representation at Dáil level must have a minimum ratio of one member per 20,000 population, and a maximum ratio of one member per 30,000. 38 of the 39 Dáil

constituencies in the State now show an average of over 30,000 people per TD, with Limerick County the only constituency still within the legal limits for representation. The constituency with the highest number of people per TD is Dublin Fingal, with 34,138 people per representative.

The Oireachtas has given An Coimisiún Toghcháin permission to increase the number of TDs in the next Dáil by between

11 and 21, meaning that there will be between 171 and 181 TDs in the next Dáil. In theory, if there were to be a TD for every 20,000 citizens in the State, the constitution would allow for the provision for as many as 250 TDs.

With the consultation closed for submissions, An Coimisiún Toghcháin will submit its report to the Oireachtas by August 2023.

Members of An Coimisiún Toghcháin

Name Role

Marie Baker Chairperson

Ger Deering Ex-officio member

Peter Finnegan

John Curran Ordinary member

Maura Quinn

Alex Attwood

Caroline Fennell

An Coimisiún Toghcháin has concluded a consultation on the makeup of constituencies for the 34th Dáil ahead of the next election, which must take place by March 2025.

Credit: Houses of the Óireachtas

Summer Legislative Programme

Published by Government Chief Whip Hildegarde Naughton TD on 19 April 2023, the Summer Legislative Programme contains 39 bills for prioritisation by government ministers.

The Legislative Programme contains the following:

• legislation for priority publication this session (19);

• legislation for priority drafting this session (20);

• all other legislation (64);

• bills currently on the Dáil and Seanad order Paper (32);

• bills published since the current Government entered office (156); and

• bills enacted since the Government entered office (141).

Speaking upon the publication of the legislative programme, Naughton said: “Our aim in delivering on the Summer Legislative Programme is to continue to provide stability in a time of continued uncertainty. This programme will build upon support provided for families, businesses and pensioners whilst also ensuring the continued delivery of the Programme for Government.”

Legislation for priority publication

Children, equality, disability, integration and youth

39th Amendment of the Constitution (Gender Equality) Bill 2023

Enterprise, trade and employment

Heads in preparation

Control of Exports Bill Currently before Dáil Éireann, Third Stage

Digital Services Bill Heads of bill approved on 7 March 2023

Plan of Action on Collective Redundancies Following Insolvency Bill 2023 General scheme published on 8 May 2023

Enterprise, trade and employment

Energy (Windfall Gains in Energy Sector) Bill 2023

Gas (Amendment) Bill

Finance

General scheme published on 21 March 2023; pre-legislative scrutiny (PLS) is complete

Heads approved on 4 October 2022

Financial Provisions (State Guarantees and International Financial Institution Funds) Bill Heads in preparation

Health

Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill Heads approved on 27 July 2022; PLS is complete Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill

Housing, local government and heritage

Dáil Éireann, First Stage on 1 June 2023

heads approved on 13 December 2022; PLS ongoing Local Government (Directly Elected Mayor with Executive Functions in Limerick City and County) Bill

Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill

approved on 20 April 2021; PLS has taken place Planning and Development Bill

bill approved on 13 December 2022; PLS has taken place Marine Protected Areas Bill 2022

Justice

Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill Heads approved on 27 July 2022; PLS is complete

Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Agency Bill Heads approved on 28 February 2023; PLS is ongoing

Public expenditure, National Development Plan delivery and reform

Civil Service Regulation (Amendment) Bill

Rural and community development

Heads approved on 11 April 2018; PLS is complete

Charities (Amendment) Bill Heads approved on 26 April 2022; PLS is complete

Social protection

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Saving System Bill Heads approved on 26 April 2022; PLS is complete

Social Welfare (Child Benefit) Bill 2023 Completed Seanad Éireann Fifth Stage on 24 May 2023

* correct as of 9 June 2023

Seanad university panel elections deemed unconstitutional

to Seanad Éireann

Six members of Seanad Éireann are elected to the upper house of the Oireachtas by graduates from specific universities: Trinity College Dublin; University College Dublin; University College Cork; University of Galway; and Maynooth University. A case taken by Tomás Heneghan, a graduate of the University of Limerick – one of two universities in the State before the consolidation of the institutes of technology into technological universities that did not elect a member of the Seanad –challenged this arrangement, stating that limiting the access to these panels and the laws governing such elections to the Seanad alone was unconstitutional.

Seven Supreme Court judges delivered their judgement on the case in March 2023, with only one – Peter Charleton –dissenting against the majority opinion that

the Oireachtas has failed in its obligation to expand the franchise in this case to those from outside of certain universities.

Immediate action on a ruling as serious as the constitutionality of certain seats within a house of the Oireachtas has been avoided due to the fact that the execution of the order issued by the Supreme Court was suspended until 31 July 2023 to allow interested parties to make submissions to the Court regarding the reforms necessary. Any such actions arising from the ruling will thus be ruled upon and enacted following the conclusion of this period.

The issue has arisen from the failure of successive governments to implement the result of a 1979 referendum on the Seventh Amendment of Bunreacht na hÉireann. The passage of the amendment means that all educational establishments should be

included in the Seanad elections, but this was never enacted into law. Counsel for the Government had argued to the Supreme Court that there was no need to change the law because the amendment allowed the Government to change the electorate if they believed it to be necessary, rather than an amendment that compelled the Government to change the electorate.

In welcoming the Supreme Court decision, Seanadóir Malcolm Byrne stated that a bill brought forward by him to extend the right to vote to graduates of other third-level institutions has government support “in principle”. “It is now a matter of urgency that action is taken in advance of the next Seanad elections and that the will of the people 44 years ago is given effect. This will be a significant measure in reforming the Seanad franchise,” Byrne said.

The Supreme Court has ruled that university electoral panels for election

are unconstitutional.

The current Seanad Éireann, with Leas-Chathaoirleach Mark Daly in centre.

Credit: Houses of the Oireachtas Service

PUBLIC SERVICES 2023

The Public Services Conference, organised by eolas magazine and sponsored by Deloitte, took place in the Gibson Hotel on Tuesday 23 May. The event brought together over 150 key stakeholders from across Ireland to look ahead to what’s next and how we can collaborate to transform our public services. Expert speakers included Marianne Cassidy, Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; Aline Muylaert, CitizenLab; Emer Darcy, Courts Service; Kevin Kelly, Health Service Executive; Daragh O’Connor, Department of Social Protection; and Mary Hurley, Department of Rural and Community Development.

Aline Muylaert, CitizenLab; Tony Shannon, OGCIO, Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; Louise McEntee, Deloitte; and Marianne Cassidy, Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

Madeline Dennison, Houses of the Oireachtas Service and Margaret McCabe, Public Appointments Service.

Bernie Kelly, NSSO addresses delegates.

Helen Coll, The Project Foundry speaks to Kevin Brady at the Tailte Éireann stand.

Delegates visit the Deloitte exhibition stand.

Gordon Grace, Department of Justice; Michael Breen, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and Carmel Keane, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

New Seanad EU committee established

Having been hampered by a number of fines and court cases, the Government will be hoping that the newly established Select Committee on Scrutiny of EU-related Statutory Instruments will help streamline the implementation of EU regulation and legislation into Irish law.

The Seanad Éireann Select Committee on Scrutiny of EU-related Statutory Instruments held its first meeting on 19 April 2023.

Last July, the Cabinet backed the creation of a select committee, based in the Seanad, to examine the statutory instruments which transfer, or transpose, EU directives into Irish law. EU Directives may be transposed into Irish law by secondary legislation under section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972.

At the meeting, Seanadóir Martin Conway was elected as Chair of the Committee. It is understood that Seanadóir Conway is the first

Oireachtas member with a declared disability to chair an Oireachtas Committee. Seanadóir Mark Daly was elected as Vice-Chair of the Committee at the meeting.

Speaking after his election, Seanadóir Conway said: “I am grateful to the members of the Committee for electing me as Chairperson. It is an incredible honour, and I am delighted that the Committee is now established. I also pay particular tribute to the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Seanadóir Mark Daly, for his work as in bringing this Committee to fruition while Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann.

Credit: Houses of the Oireachtas.

“For many years, it has been recommended that the Seanad perform a more detailed role in scrutinising EU legislation, and I very much look forward to working with the ViceChairperson and members of the Committee in carrying out its role.”

The price of inertia

When Ireland fails to carry implement a regulation or piece of legislation by a deadline set by European institutions, the EU has the power to issue fines to the Government. For instance, in 2020 the State was ordered to pay a €2 million lump sum for failing to properly implement an EU directive, in time or in full, aimed at combatting the use of financial systems for money laundering or terrorist financing.

More recently, in January 2023, the State was referred to an EU court over allegations of failure to properly meet or enforce the terms of the Water Framework Directive, which legally obliges EU member states to ensure all inland and coastal waters reach a minimum of “good” status by 2027.

Membership: Select Committee on Scrutiny of EU-related Statutory Instruments

Seanadóir Party

Seanadóir Martin Conway (Cathaoirleach) Fine Gael

Seanadóir Mark Daly (Leas-Chathaoirleach) Fianna Fáil

Seanadóir Niall Blaney Fianna Fáil

Seanadóir Lynn Boylan Sinn Féin

Seanadóir Maria Byrne Fine Gael

Seanadóir Lorraine Clifford-Lee Fianna Fáil

Seanadóir Alice-Mary Higgins Independent

Seanadóir Vincent P. Martin Green Party

Seanadóir Michael McDowell Independent

Seanadóir Joe O’Reilly Fine Gael

Seanadóir Marie Sherlock Labour Party

On this challenge, committee Leas-Chathaoirleach, Seanadóir Mark Daly said: “The late implementation of EU laws is costing millions of euro to the taxpayer through fines and penalties. Our role as a committee and as members of the Seanad is to ensure that those fines and penalties are not imposed, that the EU laws are in place on time and also that they are properly scrutinised.”

The Orders of Reference of the Committee were agreed on 7 December 2022. It is envisaged that the Committee will engage with the Minister of State for European Affairs on upcoming statutory instruments that transpose EU Directives. Where it believes further scrutiny is required, the Committee may refer the draft statutory instrument to the relevant sectoral Joint Committee and recommend more detailed scrutiny.

The Committee is seen as a major development on Seanad reform and is a victory for those who support more powers of scrutiny for the upper house. It will grant Seanad Éireann a specific role in considering draft statutory instruments which propose to transpose an EU directive into Irish law.

Mark Daly

Martin Conway

“The late implementation of EU laws is costing millions of euro to the taxpayer through fines and penalties.”

Leas-Chathaoirleach, Seanadóir Mark Daly

TRADE UNION DESK: A woman’s place is in her union

There are now more women than men in Ireland’s trade unions, representing a potential game changer for the movement, writes Ethel Buckley, SIPTU Deputy General Secretary.

The majority of trade union members in Ireland today are female. While this is reflective of the changing workforce, new research shows it is indicative of very positive and favourable attitudes to unions among workers generally and, in particular, among female workers.

The research was carried out by academics, John Geary and Maria Belizon, in UCD and found: “The growth in female participation in the labour market is matched by growing numbers of women joining trade unions... Union membership is increasingly becoming a female phenomenon. There are now more women than men in trade unions.”

It confirmed that over 50 per cent of women who are not currently members would support the establishment of a union in their workplace. These trends were underlined in work later carried out by polling specialists Ireland Thinks. This revealed a strong preference for union membership across

the workforce, with 62 per cent supporting a union presence in their workplace.

In terms of the future growth of trade unions, it was striking that the preference for union membership was stronger among both female employees and younger workers. This represents a potential game changer for the trade union movement, in terms of recruitment and development.

However, the very positive research findings should not make us in any way complacent. While the majority may be well disposed towards membership, this does not automatically translate into actual members. There are several barriers and obstacles to be overcome before that happens.

Ireland is currently one of the most hostile countries in Europe, indeed in the OECD, for workers who want to form a union in their

workplace. The State’s weak labour rights mean that antagonistic, anti-worker employers can block, obstruct, and frustrate attempts to unionise. These employers hold a de facto veto on efforts to establish greater democracy and collective bargaining rights in the workplace.

However, as highlighted by Congress General Secretary Owen Reidy, in the most recent issue of eolas Magazine, the coming months will see a once-in-a-generation opportunity to end this undemocratic veto, through the transposition into Irish law of the EU Directive on Adequate Wages.

Nonetheless, even with increased rights and protections, individual trade unions will still have to undertake the hard work of organising. This will require increased resources, dedication, patience, and perseverance – sector by sector, workplace by workplace.

We in SIPTU know only too well the hard yards of organising a non-union workforce in a challenging environment; our successful unionisation of the home care and early years education and care sectors being recent cases in point.

As is evident from the history of the movement, the main beneficiaries of any enhancement of workplace rights and a stronger collective voice for workers are likely to be women and young people.

In tandem with the critical work of organising, the wider union movement must also demonstrate its clear relevance to women workers across all areas of our economy and society. It can only do so by being visible, vocal, and active on the key issues that matter to them – be they workplace challenges or those occurring in society generally. That means we must lead debates and act on key challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis, pensions, the housing emergency, healthcare, the transition to a zero-carbon economy.

In the coming months, we will see a referendum on gender equality and the removal of the constitutional reference to a woman's place being in the home. As with the marriage equality and right to choose referendums, we should work with allies to achieve a progressive result.

We know that reactionary elements will attempt to exploit the initiative to mobilise support for their regressive agenda. We must ensure their campaign gains no ground. But there is a larger issue at play. The referendum provides the opportunity to reshape the constitution to create a more progressive framing of gender and care issues. People are living longer, and this is a good thing. But as society ages, the politics and economics of care will come increasingly to the fore. This will impact hugely on women at home and in the workplace.

Now more than ever, the trade union movement must commit resources and mobilise around a national campaign that prioritises and supports caring, that supports women and fully values their work – in the workplace or the home. A campaign that delivers one message above all: A woman’s place is in her union!

“The main beneficiaries of any enhancement of workplace rights and a stronger collective voice for workers are likely to be women and young people.”

Ethel Buckley, Deputy General Secretary, SIPTU

Political Platform

Rose Conway-Walsh TD

First elected to Mayo County Council in 2009, becoming the first ever female councillor elected in Béal an Mhuirthead, Rose Conway-Walsh subsequently led the Sinn Féin team in the Seanad between 2016 and 2020 before being elected as the first Sinn Féin TD in Mayo in almost a century in February 2020. She is the party’s spokesperson for public expenditure, NDP delivery and reform.

politics and my desire for an independent united Ireland motivated me to run for election.

What are your most notable achievements in the Oireachtas to date?

• reducing student fees despite the programme for government committing to maintaining them at their former level.

How did your political career begin?

I joined Sinn Féin after returning from London in 2000 and was first elected to Mayo County Council in 2009 and reelected in 2014. I was subsequently elected to the Seanad in 2016 and the Dáil in 2020. I served for two years on the EU Committee of the regions. It was never my intention to get involved in electoral politics. The lack of women in

Until I was appointed to Sinn Féin spokesperson for Public Expenditure, NDP delivery and reform in April 2023, I was the Sinn Féin spokesperson for further and higher education. In my time focusing on third-level education and research, the Minister adopted several policy proposals we put forward including:

• state intervention to deliver collegeowned affordable student accommodation;

• increasing SUSI supports for the first time since they were introduced in 2011; and

I also produced an Oireachtas report on developing north/south cooperation in third-level education. This led to reforms implemented in legislation and active work across the sector to address barriers to all-Ireland third-level education.

I have also tried to impact policy decisions outside my own portfolio. For example, throughout 2022, I pushed hard for the Government to address the design of our electricity pricing system that continues to place households under huge pressure. My proposals were finally adopted in December 2022 after over a year of challenging the Government’s position on the challenge.

What is unique about representing the Mayo constituency?

Mayo for Sam! The pride of being from Mayo is special. It is a vast county with a huge diaspora dispersed all over the world. Mayo people are warm, innovative, and generous of heart.

What are your policy priorities going forward?

In my current role as spokesperson for public expenditure, NDP delivery and reform, I am focus on addressing the

infrastructure deficit and the inability of central government to deliver capital projects.

Huge capital underspend in housing, runaway costs on the National Children’s Hospital, and creaking water and electricity networks are the symptoms of a system that is not working.

The State was starved of capital investment of years under Fine Gael-led government. That led to a huge loss of institutional knowledge in the public service. Now with capital projects in the pipeline the Government is over reliant on private sector consultants.

Instead of recognising these weaknesses, the Government is moving further in the wrong direction. Recent announced reforms designed to speed up delivery, amount to nothing more than the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and his department taking an even more hands over approach and ever greater reliance on private consultants. These reforms will not deliver the change we need.

How can Sinn Féin maximise its impact in opposition during the remaining lifetime of the 33rd Dáil?

Sinn Féin need to continue to apply maximum pressure on the Government particularly in key areas such as health, housing, and addressing the broader infrastructure deficit.

The health of our people, economy and climate relies on us getting to grips with these challenges.

The longer the current government is in power the worse things are getting.

In opposition we need to ensure that the Government is held to account for the array of missed targets and that Sinn Féin continues to put forward solutions and an alternative vision at every opportunity.

What are your interests outside of the political sphere?

I enjoy travel, spending time with family and friends, reading, and going to the theatre.

“The State was starved of capital investment of years under Fine Gaelled government. That led to a huge loss of institutional knowledge in the public service.”

Historically, DSGSBV has been repeatedly relegated to a privatised domain and has remained largely invisible, structurally. In Irish culture, conversely, coercion and domination are often ‘naturalised’ in representations of relationships.

Intimacy and intimidation are frequently conflated in popular cultural renditions of erotic and ‘home’ life, which ground the ambiguity and fatalism so present in public discussion. The entire social phenomenon rests on axes of power around sex, gender, and sexuality and affects all forms of homes, households, and relationships, in adulthood and childhood.

Across these diverse axes, however, there are repeating hierarchical patterns of domination and exploitation by males over females and, wherever they occur, the coercive impact of toxic gendered rules, roles and ‘masculinities’.

Safe Ireland acted as an advisor/codesigner in the development of the third National DSGBV Strategy. It is a challenging and future-facing document. Central to its efficacy will be the capacity to think ‘holistically’ about DSGBV, and to enable the newly forming DSGBV agency in the Department of Justice, with oversight within the Department of An Taoiseach, to have the reach it needs to act.

Many positive changes are emerging in relation to recognition of DV survivors as a distinct cohort, across all social groups, who need specific supports. Nevertheless, crucial points of vulnerability and invisibility remain. DV survivors’ specific needs must be met to enable the journey to independence: in housing and homelessness; in social protection measures which recognise poverty induced by financial control; in

Safe Ireland: ‘Once-in-ageneration opportunity’

The inability to ‘read’ domestic, sex, gender, and sexualitybased violence (DSGSBV) as a large-scale problem, not reducible to poor personal choice, has been a significant factor in obscuring its dynamics. It prevents the development of integrated, systemic, and flexible responses, writes

addressing legislation which silences survivors via the ‘in-camera’ rule; in countering the weaponisation of court proceedings by perpetrators; and through increased capacity of professionals and frontline responders to identify extended post-separation abuse.

We know in Ireland that change can come from the ground up – people think and feel their way into changing communities and society. We also know that we act our way into new change and growth. The smoking ban provides an obvious example.

Safe Ireland imagines a truly democratic country where anyone enduring an oppressive and coercive relationship can access the supports they need to escape coercion and start again – safely. Note the stark contrast between Ireland’s bankruptcy/insolvency laws, for example, which expressly supports the idea of a ‘fresh start’ – while women experiencing domestic abuse remain trapped in financial, physical, and psychological danger.

The work of creating a state-of-the-art infrastructure which responds appropriately to all iterations of domestic, sex, gender, and sexuality-based violence will be a cutting-edge public and civil service enterprise. An integrated system of DV prevention measures with swift, flexible specialist supports for victims, all informed by world standard policies, data collection and analytic systems, provides a perfect test-case for

Ireland’s aspiration to be a fit 21st century democratic state. Safe Ireland is hopeful. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

Safe Ireland

Safe Ireland is a national development and coordination body working to eradicate domestic violence (DV). We examine the causes and effects of domestic, sex, gender, and sexuality-based violence (DSGSV). We work to influence civil society and national policy through research, advocacy, and collaboration; through direct refuge and specialist service provision; through our networks of affiliated independent frontline DV services, local communities, professionals, public bodies, academic institutions, philanthropists, and corporate partners.

Safe Ireland’s network supports 38 affiliated specialist DV services, including 20 refuges. Each delivers supports which include; national/local helplines, crisis refuge and move-on accommodation, legal/court accompaniment, welfare, health/therapeutic, advocacy and child supports.

Mary McDermott, CEO of Safe Ireland.