Alice Chambers

3 weeks ago | thecurrency.news | Alice Chambers

The Leinster House bike shed scandal broke and John Conlon, the chairman of the OPW since April 2024, was hauled in front of the Oireachtas to answer for it. “I have taken immediate steps to address value-for-money concerns,” he told the public accounts committee in October 2024, adding that he had made “significant changes” to improve governance in the OPW project management process.

4 weeks ago | thecurrency.news | Alice Chambers

On stage in Enniscorthy on April 16, at the launch of the Greenlink Interconnector, environment minister Darragh O’Brien took the opportunity to assure the renewable energy industry, banks, supply chain, and private investors in the room that Ireland was very much open for business when it comes to offshore wind. On Tuesday, the minister got approval from his cabinet colleagues to overhaul the offshore wind processes, as reported by the Business Post. But what does that actually mean?

4 weeks ago | thecurrency.news | Alice Chambers

EirGrid made some interesting announcements at last week’s Wind Energy Europe conference in Copenhagen. Described to me by one government official as the ploughing championships of wind, the event drew industry and government representatives from across the continent. Ireland sent its biggest delegation ever and Irish representatives were invited to speak on a number of panels.

1 month ago | thecurrency.news | Alice Chambers

In Copenhagen this week, a buoyant Irish delegation attended the Wind Energy Europe conference to talk about the progress Ireland has made in offshore wind. Officials celebrated the fact that the first six wind farms have submitted planning applications. Behind the scenes, however, a crisis was unfolding. Sceirde Rocks, one of the six offshore wind farms currently in the planning system, and on which Ireland is relying to meet its climate targets, is not going ahead.

1 month ago | thecurrency.news | Alice Chambers

This Thursday, Keith O’Brien came to the High Court with his wife to learn his fate. He was hoping to avoid prison. He had admitted to violating a High Court order to preserve information by destroying his phone with an axe and dumping the pieces in a drain. O’Brien is the Dublin man at the heart of a corporate espionage case involving two multi-billion-dollar US HR multinationals. He was employed by one of them, Rippling, and accused of being a mole in the company on behalf of the other, Deel.