The Public Sector Magazine Summer 2018

The public Sector Magazine 

Ireland’s dedicated Magazine for the public sector, semi state bodies and civil service 

TURN DOWN 

THE POWER 

Public Sector 

Energy Saving 

BUILDING A CHILD 

FRIENDLY SOCIETY 

Meet the Ombudsman 

for Children, Niall Muldoon 

www.thepublicsector.org 

SHIP TO SHORE 

INSIDE DUBLIN PORT 

THE IRISH CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY 

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 

SOUTHERN REGIONAL ASSEMBLY 

SPATIAL PLANNING AND ECONOMIC STRATEGY

www.hainanairlines.com

Alexandra Basin 

Redevelopment Project 

Facilitating growth at Ireland’s No.1 Port

Public Sector Magazine 

“We’ll be our own lifesavers. 

We’ll get the flu vaccine.” 

The flu vaccine is a lifesaver for older people 

and those with long term health conditions. 

www.immunisation.ie 

2 the Public Sector Magazine


Contents 

Ireland’s dedicated magazine for the Public Sector, Semi State Bodies, 

Local Government and Civil Servants 

Managing Editor 

Tommy Quinn 

tommy@devlinmedia.org 

Sales 

Paul Halley 

Martin O’Halloran 

Linda Hickey 

Tony Doyle 

Production Manager 

Joanne Punch 

Contributors 

Conor Haugh 

Steve Cummins 

Design 

Minx Design 

ruth@minxdesign.ie 

The Public Sector Magazine is an informative 

guide for Government, Civil, Public Sector and 

Semi State decision-makers. It is distributed to, 

amongst others, Government Ministers, Ministers 

of State, Dáil Members, Senators, Secretaries 

of Departments, Deputy Secretaries, Assistant 

Secretaries, Principal Officers, CEO’s of State and 

Semi-State Bodies, County Managers, County 

Councillors, Purchasing Officers, Press Officers, IT 

Managers and Training Officers, Doctors, Financial 

Institutions, Unions, Representitive Bodies, 

Embassies, Public and Private Partnerships and 

Political Commentators. 

5 News 

News and events from the public sector 

11 ‘Leadership for Life’ 

Albert Schweitzer 10th Leadership for Life 

(ASLFL) conference 

15 Economic Eye 

Competitive strength needed to cement 

Brexit opportunities 

16 Ombudsman for Children 

Towards a child-centred society 

21 Child Welfare 

Tulsa: Transforming the welfare and 

wellbeing of children 

22 Foroige 

Engaging young people 

27 Home Instead 

person-centred, outcomes-driven home care 

28 Value-Based Health Procurement 

Increasing efficiencies and driving down 

costs. 

31 To the Rescue 

Director of the National Ambulance 

Service Martin Dunne 

33 Holiday at Home 

Ireland’s favourite staycations 

45 GPO Witness History Visitor Centre 

History brought to life 

47 Report Card 

Irish universities slip down the global 

league 

49 IPA: Education is Key 

Part-time programmes for Ireland’s public 

servants 

51 Towards a Digital Future 

The 2018 digital strategy action plan for 

schools 

54 MA in Law 

DIT launches new postgraduate law 

degree 

56 Cork City Libraries 

Learning lasts a lifetime 

58 Athy Community Library 

‘A space to connect, to learn, to explore and 

to enjoy’ 

61 Sligo Enterprise Centre 

Supporting start-ups in the North East 

62 Southern Regional Assembly 

Setting out investment priorities 

67 Maritime Growth 

Riding the ocean economy wave 

71 Dublin Port 

Scaling up for growth 

74 Galway Port 

Harbour Master calls for urgent investment 

76 Marine Learning 

MSc in Coastal and Marine Environments 

79 Towards a Sustainable Future 

Lagging behind sustainable development 

targets 

80 Turn the Power Down 

Public sector must lead on energy efficiency 

85 Construction 2018 

Construction and housing review 

86 Banking on Support 

AIB: Supporting the delivery of social 

housing 

88 Looking to the Future 

New horizons for Circle VHA 

91 Homelessness 

Homeless charities slate Government 

reports 

92 Cork Simon 

A new comprehensive and holistic 

approach to homelessness 

96 Housing Agency 

Age-friendly housing 

99 Welcome Home 

Cluid launches new homes for 67 families 

100 Oaklee Housing 

Customer-focused housing and support 

services 

102 Fighting Floods 

Manning the barricades 

105 Safety First 

Health and safety in the public sector 

109 Green is the City 

2018 Public Sector Environment Award 

111 Preserving our Past 

Fintan Farrell Conservation Services 

113 Top Contractors 

Turnover at Ireland’s top construction 

firms soars by €720m 

115 Surveyors Wanted 

Demand outstrips supply 

117 Low-Cost Tendering 

Lowest-cost tendering undermines the 

construction industry 

119 Cementing the Future 

Irish Cement - 80 years from 1938 to 2018 

120 Skyline Scaffolding Ltd 

Cutting edge scaffolding technology 

122 Geopower Generation 

An eco-friendly, renewable resource with 

vast potential 

125 Land Grab 

Nesc urges State to build homes on public 

land 

128 Going Under 

Alarming number of construction 

company closures 

the Public Sector Magazine 3


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Public Sector News 

In the News 

The latest news from Ireland’s public sector 

PRICEY CAPITAL 

Dublin has been ranked as the most expensive city in the 

Eurozone for employees working abroad. 

The research from Mercer puts the capital in 32 nd place 

globally when it comes to the cost of living for emigrant 

workers. Hong Kong and Tokyo top the list. 

Noel O’Connor from Mercer said: “One of the biggest 

factors influencing Dublin’s high ranking in 2018 is the cost of 

rental accommodation.” 

STATE SALARIES UNCOMPETITIVE 

The civil service is struggling to recruit staff in a number of 

key areas because salaries are not keeping pace with jobs in the 

private sector, according to public sector union Fórsa. 

Among the positions which State bodies are struggling to fill 

are cleaners, solicitors, meteorologists, radio officers, Oireachtas 

researchers and special education needs organisers. 

The union argues that civil service management should be 

given the flexibility to pay staff above the usual entry rates, 

where necessary, to attract suitably qualified staff. 

In a submission to the Public Service Pay Commission, it 

had pointed out that a recent competition for permanent civilian 

posts in Dublin Garda stations attracted so few applicants that 

it has to be repeated. It also raised ongoing problems with 

recruiting meteorologists. 

“A recent panel for forecasters led to just three posts being 

filled, while eight candidates refused positions because of low 

starting salaries,” it said. 

The union said a competition for special education needs 

organisers was equally unsuccessful. All but one of 20 qualifying 

candidates walked away because better deals were available in 

schools. It said salaries are also no longer competitive across the 

State’s laboratories, law offices and many specialist agencies. 

HIGH CARBON CULPRITS 

The average home in Ireland emits almost 60% more carbon 

emissions than those in Europe, according to new report by the 

Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). 

Between 2014 and 2016, residential carbon emissions 

increased by almost 7%, having fallen by almost 25% between 

2005 and 2014 

At 58% higher than their counterparts in Europe, Irish 

household emissions are the worst out of the 28 countries in the 

European Union, with this due in part to the high levels of coal, 

peat and oil used in Ireland. 

The report also shows how, in response to Ireland’s growing 

population, the number of dwellings is increasing, with 1.7 

million households in Ireland in 2016, up almost 40% since 2000. 

In 2016, households accounted for approximately 25% of 

Ireland’s total energy use, costing €3.4bn, which resulted in 

9.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions. Most energy use in an 

average Irish home is for space heating, followed by water 

heating, the report finds. 

Commenting on the report, Jim Scheer, Head of Energy 

Modelling at SEAI said; “There is an urgent need to reduce 

energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions 

within our residential sector. Our government funded 

programmes have already delivered energy upgrades to over 

375,000 homes.” 

“However, recent trends suggest that we must do an awful 

lot more to further improve the energy performance of our 

entire housing stock,” he said. 

“A move away from our over-reliance on fossil fuels is 

essential, alongside a move toward more significant energy 

efficiency improvements in the home, whether it be a cottage, 

semi-detached or apartment,” he said. 



ON THE BEAT 

Fewer than 50% of gardai are involved 

in visible public patrolling, according to 

a gardai audit report. The audit found 

that just 44% of fully trained gardai were 

engaged in patrolling and high visibility 

policing in direct contact with the public. 

This finding comes despite the 

fact that the Gardai policing plan itself 

stresses the importance of ensuring the 

highest possible number of gardai are 

assigned patrolling and high visibility 

policing which keeps them in contact 

with communities. 

The Garda Internal Audit Committee 

which prepared the report acknowledged 

that the figure was ‘low’ and the Garda 

press office said it accepted that the pace 

of redeployment from administrative to 

operational roles had not happened at the 

pace anticipated. 

“Plans are in place to accelerate this 

process,” it said. 

BOOSTING THE BUS SERVICE 

The NTA has published its Dublin 

Area Bus Network Redesign Public 

Consultation report – which makes wideranging 

proposals which it says will 

significantly enhance the service for bus 

passengers in the capital. 

In particular, it says the proposals 

will help to provide for a more integrated 

public transport system. 

The NTA’s Aine Graham said that 

redrawing the bus network in Dublin has 

been a priority and was a key element 

of the overall BusConnects programme 

announced last year. 

“We believe a system with greater 

scope for interconnections between routes 

and where connecting passengers don’t 

necessarily have to travel to the city centre 

would be far more convenient,” she said. 

DOUBLE JOBBING 

TO PAY BILLS 

iReach Insights has found that 12% of 

Irish people hold side jobs with the 

majority doing so to help pay the bills. 

Of the 13% of people in Ireland that 

have side jobs, 86% have 2 jobs, and 14% 

have more than 2 jobs. 74% of people 

with more than one job would consider 

one of these jobs their main job and 11% 

more females than males would consider 

all their jobs equal. 

The Top 5 reasons cited for adults in 

Ireland to have more than one job are to 

pay bills (67%), save money (37%), saving 

for Holidays (20%), paying for a car 

(19%) or to support my children (14%) 

12% of females take a side job to 

support family members and 12% take a 

side job to support an expensive hobby. 

No males take side jobs to do either, 

but more than twice as many males as 

females take side jobs to buy medicine 

(17% compared to 8%). 

49% of those aged 35-54 and 25% of 

55+ years old are saving money out of 

precaution, while 0% of 16-34-year-olds 

are saving money just to be prepared. 

BREXIT ILLS 

Shelves in pharmacies around the country 

may look threadbare following Brexit, an 

industry lobby group has warned. 

Medicines for Ireland expressed 

concerns that the end of the practice of 

drug ‘batch sharing’ with the UK will 

impact on medical supplies here. “If this 

cannot continue it leaves patients and our 

health system exposed to shortages,” said 

Chair Owen McKeon. 

He added that “unsustainable” 

low pricing has already resulted in 

pharmacies stopping the supply of 

more than 120 generic medicines here, 

including pills for asthma, thyroid 

conditions, angina and schizophrenia. 

LIMERICK GEARS UP 

A report from EY-DKM Economic 

Advisory into Limerick’s positioning 

of itself as a location for more foreign 

direct investment following Brexit said 

that the ‘hollowing out of the city centre’ 

and tackling social issues, particularly 

unemployment blackspots, had to be a 

priority for policy makers. 

The report was commissioned to 

review the five-year performance after 

the launch of the region’s economic plan 

‘Limerick 2030’. 

The report, commissioned by Limerick 

City and County Council, said 12,000 jobs 

were created between 2013 and 2017, while 

€2bn worth of projects were submitted for 

planning permission since 2009. 

Relative to the other Irish cities, 

Limerick is already in a strong position 

with its competitive cost of living and 

business costs and Chief executive of 

Limerick City and County Council, 

Conn Murray said the region has 

made “quantum leaps” in recent years, 

outperforming its targets. 

“We were coming from an extremely 

low base and a huge amount has gone 

into getting us to where we are. But we’re 

not going to be patting ourselves on the 

back as there’s a long way to go,” he said. 

The report involved benchmarking 

Limerick against comparable international 

cities, including Dundee and Norwich, 

Aalborg in Denmark, Montpellier in 

France, and Groningen in Holland. 

HOME AID HIKE PLEA 

Nearly 6,500 old people are waiting on 

home care and home help, according to 

Fianna Fail. The latest figures showed 

6,458 older people were on the lists at the 

end of March – compared to 5,418 at the 

end of 2017. 

“Increases in supports are required 

if we want to enable older people to 

continue living in their homes,” Stephen 

Donnelly, TD. said. 



€4BN PROJECT IRELAND 

2040 FUND 

Four new funds worth a total of four billion 

euro have been launched as part of the 

Project Ireland 2040 investment and will 

be invested in rural development, urban 

regeneration, climate action and innovation. 

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the 

money will be allocated competitively 

to the best projects and half of the four 

billion euro will be put towards urban 

regeneration in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, 

Galway and Waterford, alongside 54 

other urban centres. 

Rural areas and towns with a 

population of less than 10,000 will be 

allocated one billion euro while the 

remaining one billion euro will be split 

evenly between the Climate Actions Fund 

and the Disruptive Technologies Fund. 

“We expect our country’s population 

to grow by more than a million over the 

next 20 years, with two-thirds of a million 

more people at work,” said Leo Varadkar 

at a press conference. “That is a huge 

level of growth for a country of our size 

and we must plan for it now. 

“Project Ireland 2040 seeks to ensure 

that 75% of this growth will take place 

outside Dublin and, in particular, we have 

set the ambitious target that the cities of 

Limerick, Cork, Galway and Waterford 

will grow at twice the rate of Dublin. 

BOOST SUPPLY OF HOMES, 

URGES IMF 

The IMF has called on the Government 

to make greater efforts to build new 

homes and reduce the hoarding of land. 

Gradual increases in the local property 

tax, as well as the introduction of new 

income-tax brackets, should also be 

considered, it said. 

While the international body expects 

the Irish economy to continue to grow 

strongly over the coming years, it 

also highlights key challenges, from 

housing to potential economic shocks 

from abroad, which could harm Irish 

prosperity, including the US corporate 

tax cuts and the EU’s proposed taxharmonisation 

scheme. 

On housing, the IMF executive 

board urged the Government to renew 

its efforts to expand house-building. Its 

VISITOR NUMBERS SOAR 

Nearly 200,000 more visitors have come to 

Ireland this year, according to new figures. 

The January to April period has increased 

by 7%, compared to 2017, with US and 

Canadian visitors steadily increasing. 

“North America continues to perform 

directors “considered that taxation could 

be used more actively to reduce land- and 

property-hoarding, and that measures to 

improve housing affordability should be 

well-targeted”. 

It also said additional money can be 

raised from the Local Property Tax and it 

said the Government, after freezing the 

tax for a number of years, now “might 

consider a gradual” increase to match 

higher property prices. 

It wants to reduce the number of 

low Vat rates and again called for the 

Government to look at ending the 

preferential tax on diesel. It also made 

detailed recommendations on reforming 

the income tax regime which suggests 

an earlier entry point for workers to 

start paying income tax, by “further 

streamlining tax credits and allowances” 

and introducing more income-tax 

brackets. 

extremely well with arrivals up 13.6% - an 

extra 61,000 US and Canadian visitors,” 

said Tourism Ireland chief Niall Gibbons. 

“We’ve also seen excellent results 

from mainland Europe, which is up 

over 12% - a market which offers strong 

returns on investment in terms of holiday 

visitors and expenditure. 



PASTURES NEW 

A new trade deal has been agreed to 

supply Irish meat to Qatar. Food Minister 

Michael Creed said the Qatari market 

would be opening up to Irish meat and 

meat products, including beef, sheep 

WASTE WARS 

SIPTU has called for a major review of 

waste collection and its return to control 

by the local authority sector following 

a recent Prime Time programme, which 

revealed widespread illegal practices 

within the industry. 

SIPTU Public Administration and 

Community Organiser, Adrian Kane, 

said: “The Prime Time programme on 

widespread illegal activities within the waste 

industry should serve as a wake-up call for 

the country. From the information revealed 

it is clear that Ireland is failing to meet the 

challenge to dispose of waste in a coherent 

and environmentally safe manner. What we 

have instead is a largely unregulated and 

environmentally dangerous industry.` 

“While the programme highlighted 

meat and poultry. 

“The opening of this new market is 

a reflection of the confidence the Qatari 

authorities have in our rigorous controls 

and high standards of food safety,” the 

Minister said. 

some very serious and flagrant cases of 

illegal dumping it failed to examine the 

structural reasons why illegal practices 

are so endemic within the industry. 

These are due to the cut-throat nature 

of the business and a legacy of 30 years of 

privatisation which has led to some of the 

poorest terms and conditions for workers 

within the economy. Operators driven by 

the need for economic survival regularly 

circumvent the law and precariously 

employed workers do not feel in a 

position to report illegal practices.” 

He added: “The long-term way to 

ensure the goal of a clean environment 

and to establish decent conditions for 

workers within the industry is to bring 

waste collection and disposal back 

within the control of the state and local 

authority sector.” 

CONSUMER 

CONFIDENCE SLUMPS 

Consumer confidence has dropped in June, 

due mainly to more global uncertainty and 

pressures on household spending. 

The latest KBC/ESRI Consumer 

Sentiment Index shows it has fallen to its 

weakest level in 13 months. 

However, it does not suggest the 

average Irish consumer has gone 

through any dramatic worsening in their 

economic circumstances. 

Chief Economist Austin Hughes said: 

“On top of concerns about trade disputes 

globally and the general prospects for the 

global economy, consumers have actually 

noticed that it is costing them a little bit 

more to live. 

“We have higher fuel bills over the 

last while as petrol prices have gone 

up, and of course there is pressure on 

housing costs, whether it’s buying a new 

house or renting.” 

PORTS RELY HEAVILY 

ON UK TRADE 

Goods passing through Irish ports increased 

more than 5% last year, with Britain and 

the North by far the most valuable trading 

partner, figures have shown. 

CSO figures show routes between 

Dublin and Holyhead, Liverpool and 

Milford Haven in Britain were the 

busiest routes for inward movement of 

goods in 2017, while Dublin-Holyhead 

and Dublin-Liverpool routes were also 

the busiest routes in terms of goods 

forwarded. 

Irish ports handled more than 53 

million tonnes of goods in 2017, an 

increase of 5.2% when compared with 

2016. Goods forwarded from Irish ports 

amounted to almost 18 million tonnes in 

2017, while a total of 35.5 million tonnes 

of goods were received in 2017, both 

increasing by 5.2% when compared with 

the previous year, the CSO said. 

Calls for additional funding for Irish 

ports in a post-Brexit EU have gained 

momentum in recent months. 

Port of Cork Chief executive Brendan 

Keating warned earlier this year that the 

country is at significant risk of isolation 

following Brexit and will need EU 

funding to shore up lack of connectivity 

to major European routes. 


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‘Leadership for Life’ 

The Ireland Chamber of Commerce in the USA (ICCUSA) in New Jersey and their sister charity, The ICCUSA Foundation, Inc. 

recently hosted their Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life (ASLFL) 10th Annual International Youth Leadership Conference in 

Maynooth, Co. Kildare. 

The event was held at the magnificent campus of St. Patrick’s 

College Maynooth. The college was established in 1795 and 

built as a seminary to train Catholic priests who later went into 

Africa and other countries and made a tremendous impact over 

many decades. Today, the building also serves as a prominent 

University. 

The youth leadership development program, works to 

inspire and enable young adults, ages 15 to 18 years, to become 

confident and effective leaders, as well as, good stewards of 

their local and global communities. The ICCUSA leadership 

program is very unique in the sense that all its students hail 

from a broad variety of different countries, including Ireland, 

Northern Ireland, India, Israel, Nigeria, Palestine, United 

Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Russia, Pakistan, China and 

United States. 

Education and public service were central to the vision of 

Albert Schweitzer who once said: “I don’t know what your 

destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you 

who will be really happy are those who will have sought and 

found how to serve.” 

The Opening Address was presented by former 

Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. Other speakers Maurice A. Knightly, 

Entrepreneurial Specialist – UCD Innovation Academy, Ronan 

Farrell, Professor of Engineering – Maynooth University and 

Mr. Maurice A. Buckley, Founder and Chairman – ICCUSA 

Foundation, Inc. 

Each of the speakers shared their experiences and discussed 

possible opportunities, for future careers for the students. 

The training of the students is done through their partners, 

Hugh O’Brien Leadership (HOBY), who has been involved in 

the youth leadership program in the USA for 60 years. 

Maurice A. Buckley and Elsa N. Gutierrez Buckley founded 

the ICCUSA Foundation, Inc. in 2008 and they started the 

conference in Ireland because of their love for the country. 



They always have considered Ireland home and wanted the 

students who have attended the conference through the years to 

experience the same Irish warmth that they received for the past 

many years. 

“The conference is a wonderful opportunity for students 

with different race, ethnicity and religions to work together 

and learn about each other’s different cultures. To make the 

world, we live in, a better and peaceful place. They hope that 

when they are long gone, their legacy will continue on,” said Mr 

Buckley. 

If you are interested in learning more about the Leadership for Life programme 

or participating in the event, please go to www.aschweitzer.org 

or contact nancy@iccusa.org or victoria@iccusa.org. Address: ICCUSA 

Foundation Inc., 219 South Street – Suite, 203, New Providence, NJ, 07974, 

USA. +1(908)286-1300 ext. 2. 


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14 the Public Sector Magazine 

www.roadbridge.ie 

Crossagalla, Ballysimon Road, Limerick, V94 X2E1


Economic Eye 

Competitiveness pressures need to be addressed to cement Brexit opportunity 

The Republic of Ireland (‘ROI’) is set 

to enjoy GDP growth of 4.9% in 2018 

and 3.8% in 2019, according to The EY 

Economic Eye Summer Forecast. The 

report anticipates growth of 236,700 net 

additional jobs in the period 2017-22 and 

shows that after 10 years, employment 

on the island has finally surpassed the 

peak 2008 level, albeit structured very 

differently. 

The EY Brexit Tracker also reveals that 

21 financial services organisations have 

confirmed they will move all or some of 

their operations from the UK to Dublin. 

places Dublin as the most popular post- 

Brexit location, ahead of Frankfurt (12), 

Luxembourg (11) and Paris (8). 

Neil Gibson, Chief Economist, EY said the impressive 

growth rate Ireland has experienced since 2015 looks set to 

continue. However, if we are to sustain growth at current rates, 

he warns we must retain a focus on competitiveness. “The Spring 

Economic Statement last week showed us that the Government 

is walking a fine line between not overspending, and investing in 

growth-enabling infrastructure. There will be plenty of demands 

for increased spending and tax cuts; careful prioritisation will 

present a new challenge for politicians,” he said. 

“Ireland’s impressive growth may be somewhat overstated by 

headline GDP figures, but data on job creation levels and tax 

receipts all point to a fast-growing economy. The forecast is for 

headline growth rates to fall back from current levels and job 

creation will also moderate as a tighter labour market begins to 

impact. However assuming a relatively smooth Brexit, which 

clearly remains a risk, Ireland is projected to remain one of the 

fastest-growing developed nations in the world. 

“This growth is placing considerable pressure on policy makers 

to avoid a loss of competitiveness by ensuring sufficient housing 

and infrastructure investment is realised in a timely fashion.” 

Competitiveness 

Economic Eye focuses on three key areas of consideration when 

it comes to competitiveness – ‘People, Place and Price’ as these 

are the topics most frequently raised by clients.. However, 

across all aspects of competitiveness it is talent that stands out 

as the number one priority. 

“In a modern, knowledge-driven economy, talent is key 

to growth. Finding the right blend is becoming harder as the 

labour market tightens and technology changes business models. 

Refreshing talent strategies is essential for businesses looking 

to compete effectively. This is more than simply looking at 

recruitment practices. The talent journey starts before businesses 

even know they need to hire and continues long after staff leave. 

Embracing this continuum is yielding benefits for the most 

successful organisations across the island,” said Neil Gibson. 

According to EY Economic Eye, the level of house price 

and rent inflation in ROI is adversely impacting on overall 

competitiveness. “Property prices in Ireland are continuing 

to rise. Such is the level of property demand, there is little 

chance of supply catching up quickly, despite the best efforts of 

policy-makers - and double digit rises for 2018 and 2019 look 

likely. The current rate of increase is unsustainable and it is 

already damaging competitiveness, with inner city rental costs a 

particular concern,” he continued. 

The third core competitiveness pillar identified in the report 

is ‘Place’. The National Development Plan makes specific 

reference to Ireland’s five main cities, as Ireland’s Government 

attempts to spread economic growth outside of Dublin. 

“If Ireland is to remain competitive and continue to grow 

strongly, improved infrastructure is key. Careful prioritisation of 

the most economically-beneficial projects will be essential and 

challenging, given the clear need for most of the investments set 

out in the National Development Plan. The recent announcement 

of the €4bn Project Ireland 2040 funds is a welcome step in 

getting from plan to delivery,” Neil Gibson added. 

Overall economic outlook for Ireland remains strong, 

Gibson concluded. “The mood in the market is positive at the 

moment, a significant number of new jobs are projected to be 

created over the next four years as the country continues on 

an upward trajectory. The question still remains; what will a 

post-Brexit Ireland look like? In the face of slow-moving Brexit 

negotiations, Ireland’s competitiveness of place, people and 

prices is a priority. At the moment, we are seeing businesses 

pushing forward and making ‘no regrets’ decisions, or 

adapting their existing strategy to accommodate a range of 

possible outcomes.” 



Towards a Child- 

Centred Society 

Recognition of children’s rights has advanced significantly in the last decade, according to the Ombudsman for Children Dr Niall 

Muldoon. However, there is little room for complacency and greater resources need to be diverted towards addressing mental 

health issues and high levels of poverty among children, he tells Public Sector Magazine. 

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Ireland’s ratification 

of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 

(UNCRC) where the State made a promise to respect, protect 

and fulfil the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural 

rights of children. 

This represented an important milestone in a nation where 

the rights of children had frequently been ignored and where 

children were routinely subjected to ill treatment in church and 

state institutions and industrial schools. Corporal punishment 

was widespread and often severe and children were scarcely 

seen as people in their own right who deserved respect and the 

equivalent rights which adults take for granted. The maxim 

that ‘children should be seen and not heard’ was an all too 

frequent reality for many children in the recent past. 

Ratification of the UNCRC marked a turning point in the 

advancement of children’s rights. The establishment of the 

Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) which followed in 

2004 was a critical juncture in terms of providing oversight 

and ensuring Ireland adheres to our commitments under the 

UNCRC. 



The OCO is an independent human rights institution 

which promotes and monitors the rights of children in Ireland 

and investigates complaints made by, or on behalf of, children 

about the administrative actions of public bodies. It also 

pursues systemic change that addresses the root causes of 

complaints. 

The OCO has frequently highlighted the transformative 

impact of Ireland’s ratification of the UNCRC and last year it 

hosted a series of events to mark the 25th anniversary. It also 

initiated a nationwide discussion on the topic of ‘Children’s 

Rights Now’ – a conversation which involved young people 

across Irish society from Donegal to Dungarvan. 

The Children’s Rights Referendum which was passed in 

November 2012, was signed into law in April, 2015, just two 

months after Dr Niall Muldoon was appointed Ombudsman 

for Children by President Michael D. Higgins, succeeding the 

first Ombudsman for Children, Emily Logan. 

A counselling and clinical psychologist and child 

protection expert, Dr Muldoon was formerly national clinical 

director of the CARI children’s charity and has worked 

in the area of child protection for 20 years. He regards the 

children’s referendum in 2012 as one of the most significant 

achievements to date in terms of guaranteeing greater 

protection of children’s rights in Ireland. 

“The Constitution is seen as the benchmark of our social 

and moral values and for the first time we provided for the 

express recognition of children’s rights at a constitutional 

level, and clearly established the duty of the State to protect 

and vindicate those rights through its laws,” he said. “It’s 

a narrow framework in that it relates principally to legal 

situations but it is transformative in that the Courts now have 

to listen to and pay due attention to the voice of the child in all 

matters affecting children. 

“The realisation of rights for children and young people 

in society is a journey and often requires a change in societal 

attitudes which are deeply embedded. But we all have 

a responsibility to ensure children know their rights and 

how to exercise them and to make sure that those rights are 

protected.” 

In 2011, the OCO published a report in relation to St 

Patrick’s Institution, which was a closed, medium security 

prison for young people aged 16-21 years. At the time, St 

Patrick’s Institution was still operating despite best practice 

stating that children under the age of 18 should be detained 

in a separate detention centre solely for children. 22 young 

people under 18 years decided to take part in the OCO’s 

consultation and to talk about their experiences of detention in 

the prison. The report made numerous recommendations but 

the main one was that no child under the age of 18 should be 

detained in St Patrick’s Institution in line with international 

best practice. 

Last year finally saw the closure of St. Patrick’s Institution 

with all 17 year olds now being committed by the Courts to 

the Children’s Detention Centre at Oberstown. The children’s 

detention centre in Wheatfield was also closed. 

There were further successes last year when for the first 

time children in Direct Provision were able to complain 

directly to the OCO about the centres. “Children in direct 

“The Constitution is seen 

as the benchmark of our 

social and moral values 

and for the first time we 

provided for the express 

recognition of children’s 

rights at a constitutional 

level, and clearly established 

the duty of the State to 

protect and vindicate those 

rights through its laws,” 

provision can now, after 17 years, make complaints in the 

same way that every other child on the island can,” Muldoon 

notes. 

The OCO also made a submission in relation to draft 

legislation which will require every school to consult with 

parents and students, and to publish and operate a Parent and 

Student Charter. This will fulfil a key commitment in the Action 

Plan for Education to improve information and complaint 

procedures for parents and students relating to schools. 

“The Bill will establish a Charter in every school which will 

define the principles to guide how schools will engage with 

students and parents,” says Muldoon. “The most important 

change is that children and young people will be asked for their 

input. By the time a child reaches eleven or twelve they will 

have an expectation that their voice will be heard and that will 

fundamentally change how they view themselves in relation to 

their expectations and their outlook.” 

The OCO’s consultations with children and young people 

have resulted in some of the most impactful initiatives. For 

example, the OCO published a report on scoliosis last year 

which included the powerful testimonies of three young people 

who had experienced significant delays before undergoing 

scoliosis surgeries. 

This direct engagement with young people as part of its 

role to promote children’s rights is among the most rewarding 

aspects of the OCO’s work, according to Muldoon. “Raising 

awareness is a crucial part of what we do with children from all 

areas. We now have dedicated teams responsible for children 

in Direct Provision going out to the 26 different centres and 

delivering workshops to teach children about their rights. 

“In schools, we talk to children about the fact they have the 

right to privacy, to education, to healthcare, and to be protected 

from harm. The message starts to become real to them and they 

start to recognise what other children might not be getting. They 

start to think what it might be like for a child living in a hotel 

room. What are they missing out on? It is about making it real.” 



While recognising the many achievements of the last two 

decades, Muldoon says there is no room for complacency and 

we need to be mindful that the rights of many children and 

young people living in Ireland are not being fully protected 

or realised. “On the positive side, we have outlawed corporal 

punishment, we have had a children’s referendum, we have 

a separate Department of Children and Youth Affairs, a full 

cabinet Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, and we have 

Tusla and a Children’s Ombudsman,” he says. 

“However, many young people still face a variety 

of challenges on issues ranging from mental health and 

disability to poverty, homelessness and lack of access to 

critical services. A significant number of children have spent 

their early childhood living through very difficult economic 

circumstances and 10% of those under 18 are still living in 

consistent poverty. This is not acceptable in a modern, wealthy 

society and as the economy recovers we must ensure we 

prioritise those children who are afflicted by poverty.” 

The OCO is currently in the final year of a three-year plan 

and the key focus for 2018 is on children with mental health 

issues and disabilities as well as homeless children. The UN 

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was only 

ratified recently so there is a lot of work to do from now on in 

this area. Muldoon also points out that only 6% of the health 

budget is spent on mental health for the entire population, 

which he says is wholly inadequate. 

“Mental healthcare for children is still well behind where 

it should be in terms of resources and where they need to 

be allocated. Mental health issues tend to develop early in 

children’s lives and we need to do more in terms of early 

stage prevention. The key is that once a child with a potential 

problem is identified, there should be an easy route to accessing 

the service which can help them. What we have to accept is that 

if a child creates a signal and we ignore that signal, then we 

have let this child down badly. 

“I’m promoting the idea that children should have access 

to a therapist in school similar to that which exists in Northern 

Ireland, Wales and Scotland. It won’t be the answer to 

everything but it will make a huge difference.” 

A key role of the OCO is the investigation of complaints, 

the largest volume of which involves the education sector 

which accounts for up to 45% of all complaints made. The child 

protection and social work area accounts for a further 25% while 

others generally relate to housing and health. Unsurprisingly, 

complaints in relation to housing have escalated significantly in 

recent years and now represent 6% of the total. 

The OCO recently published a ‘Guide to Child-Centred 

Complaints Handling’ which sets out core principles of good 

practice for dealing with complaints made by or on behalf of 

children. According to Muldoon, OCO developed the Guide to 

encourage and support organisations that provide services to 

children, and make decisions that impact on children, to deal 



A significant number 

of children have spent 

their early childhood 

living through very 

difficult economic 

circumstances and 10% 

of those under 18 are 

still living in consistent 

poverty. This is not 

acceptable in a modern, 

wealthy society and as 

the economy recovers we 

must ensure we prioritise 

those children who are 

afflicted by poverty.” 

with complaints in accordance with good practice and in a 

child-centred manner. 

This Guide is informed by the OCO’s extensive experience 

of dealing with complaints and by a literature review, 

undertaken for the OCO by the Child Law Clinic, School of Law 

at University College Cork. The review incorporated an analysis 

of relevant children’s rights standards and of initiatives in other 

countries to promote good practices in handling complaints 

affecting children. 

“The objective is to raise awareness and build capacity 

among public servants and across organisations to deal with 

complaints in a child-centred way,” says Muldoon. “We have 

handled over 16,000 complaints over the years so we have 

developed a significant expertise in this area. If a child makes a 

complaint, or one is made on behalf of the child, you have to be 

aware that it will need to be handled differently while always 

remaining impartial. From our point of view, if we can see a 

reduction in complaints that will be a very positive outcome,” 

he says. 

“Government departments and public bodies are faced 

with decisions every day. Often these decisions are a matter of 

service allocation. But the question that must be asked by all 

public bodies is: ‘Whose interests are we trying to serve?’ It’s 

important that the people who are on the receiving end of the 

service are also at the centre of decisions. Specifically, children 

need to be at the centre of considerations, where they are 

impacted by those decisions. 

“This will mean, as a public servant, considering the 

impact that your decision will have on the child, how you 

involve them in the complaints process, enabling children to 

express their views so what they say can be taken into account 

when decisions are arrived at. It also means transparency in 

communication, and timely decisions – timely in terms of 

minimising delays while not rushing through the decision. 

“We envisage key audiences for this Guide would be 

public bodies and organisations providing services to 

children and those that work for, or make decisions about, 

children. And this would be a wide-ranging audience 

encompassing everyone from hospitals treating children 

to local authorities making a decision about housing 

and planning. It would also include those Government 

departments that fall most frequently under our remit such 

as those related to Education, Justice, Equality, Health and 

Environment, as well as departments that we may be less 

likely to encounter.” 

“We will be reaching out to these bodies to invite them 

to a briefing that will explore how we can best support them, 

be it through a workshop or seminar, briefing documents, or 

follow-up work tailored to their area. In this way, we hope 

to be of practical support to public bodies who deal with 

complaints.” 

‘A Guide to Child-Centred Complaints Handling’ is available to download 

at: www.oco.ie 



Tusla - Child and Family 

Agency 

Tusla – Child and Family Agency was established on 1 January 

2014 and is the state agency responsible for improving 

wellbeing and outcomes for children. 

Tusla has responsibility for the following range of services: 

Child welfare and protection services, including family 

support services; family resource centres and associated 

national programmes; early years (pre-school) inspection 

services; educational welfare responsibilities, including school 

completion programmes and home school liaison; domestic, 

sexual and gender-based violence services; and services related 

to the psychological welfare of children. 

Floors 2-5, Brunel Building, Heuston South Quarter, 

Dublin 8. 

Tel: (01) 771 8500, Fax: (01) 771 8610 

Email: info@tusla.ie 

Website: www.tusla.ie 



Child Welfare 

Tusla Chief Executive, Fred McBride, outlines the achievements of the Child and Family Agency to date and reveals an ambitious 

agenda aimed at transforming services to enhance the welfare, safety and wellbeing of children and families. 

As an agency Tusla – Child and Family Agency is tasked with 

work that affects the most vulnerable children and families in 

our society. There has been much scrutiny over the past two 

years around our practice and level of consistency. We welcome 

constructive scrutiny, oversight and evaluation – it drives 

continuous improvement. However, we must not lose sight of 

how far we have come as an agency, and as a country in the area 

of child protection and welfare. 

Tusla was established after 29 inquiries and over 500 

recommendations to lead major reform of our child protection 

services. It brought together over 4000 staff based in over 400 

locations; dealing with nearly 53,000 referrals each year (one 

every 10 minutes). Based on this, I think it’s fair to say that Tusla 

has achieved a lot in a very short period of time, including: 

n The national roll out of a national computerised information 

system (NCCIS) across the country which means that for 

the first time in the history of the state, all 17 areas on 

one integrated system, eliminating inconsistencies that 

previously occurred with a mixture of paper-based systems 

and different computer systems. 

n The development of inter-agency protocols to assist working 

with key partners. 

n The development of a new Child Protection and Welfare 

Strategy and the introduction of a new national approach to 

practice – Signs of Safety. 

n The development and expansion of early intervention work 

through the Prevention, Partnership and Family Support 

programme which supports families in their local communities. 

Our previous three year corporate plan was based on a 

business case submitted to government aptly titled “Survival 

to Sustainability”. This business case acknowledged that 

significant investment and capacity was required to achieve the 

ambitious programme of reform set out by government and to 

begin to move the Agency to a sustainable footing. 

Recently, we launched our new three year Corporate Plan 

for 2018–2021. It is ambitious and aims to fundamentally change 

and improve the relationship between the State and children, 

young people, families and communities. 

Child protection and welfare services have been at the 

forefront of public discourse recently, however it’s important to 

remember that Tusla’s core mission is the wellbeing of children 

and families, and staff around the country are working with 

children and families to provide services across a range of areas, 

including adoption, fostering, residential care, special care, 

aftercare, early intervention, educational welfare, early years, 

and domestic, sexual, and gender based violence. 

As an organisation we believe that children, families and 

communities should be actively involved in the decisions that 

affect their lives. We want to work with them to maximise their 

dignity, autonomy and self-determination whilst providing 

Fred McBride, CEO Tusla. 

services that are timely and appropriate for their specific needs. 

These needs can vary as different families will require different 

levels of support. However, when a concern about a child is 

referred to Tusla and a child is at an immediate risk or in a grave 

situation, they get an immediate protective response. 

As Chief Executive, I do not underestimate the scale of the 

challenge, and I know that we still have some way to go. It is of 

the utmost importance that our services are fully fit for purpose 

so we can provide timely, appropriate, proportionate support 

and interventions in a consistent and effective way. 

I am confident that we are actively addressing all of the 

issues that remain through the comprehensive organisational 

and cultural reform programme that has been ongoing for the 

past four years, and I have no doubt that with the dedication of 

staff around the country, and the support and commitment of 

partner organisations, our politicians and our communities, we 

will enhance the safety and wellbeing of children and families. 



Empowering Youth 

Working with over 55,000 young people aged between 10 and 18 each year through volunteer-led Clubs and staff-led Youth 

Projects, Foróige is Ireland’s leading youth organisation.. 

Established over 60 years ago in 1952 by a group of vocational 

school teachers who saw the need for practical education 

outside of the classroom, the organisation enables young 

people to involve themselves consciously and actively in their 

development and in the development of society. 

Foróige was formally known as Macra na Tuaithe, the youth 

branch of Macra na Feirme. However, in 1981, the organisation 

changed its name to Foróige to demonstrate its move from a 

rural based organisation to one that works with young people 

with a wide variety of needs in both rural and urban settings 

across Ireland. 

Operating in 26 counties, the organisation has more than 

600 clubs and 150 youth projects, 6,500 volunteers and 400 

employees. 

Sean Campbell, CEO of Foróige says one in ten young 

people in the country is involved with the organisation. 

“And the exciting thing is we are stronger now than we 

have ever been and have more understanding of what we are 

doing and proof that what we are doing works. We have spent 

a lot of time over the last number of years developing impactful 

programmes and working with academia to find out what 

works with young people and how it works,” he says. 

One of the biggest attractions of Foróige is the skills youths 

gather and the sense of belonging they gain. 

“Adolescents really want that sense of belonging, 

particularly as they move into adult life. That sense of belonging 

to something apart from their family is extremely important,” 

he says. 

“Youth work can provide young people with a set of skills that 

they can’t easily get in formal education,” explains Mr Campbell. 



““Adolescents really want that sense of belonging, 

particularly as they move into adult life. We are about 

helping them to try and find out where they stand in the 

world, what they stand for, what they want to contribute 

to society.” 

“These skills include critical thinking, good communication, 

planning, goal setting, empathy and resilience. These are skills 

that every employer say they want in a person. Because they are 

skills that can be taught, learnt, practised and mastered. Youth 

work and Foróige in particular has really devoted a lot of time 

to ensuring people can get these skills and practise them and 

become proficient in them,” he says. 

Foróige also helps make the adolescent experience full of 

good memories and good times. 

“We are about helping them to try and find out where they 

stand in the world, what they stand for, what they want to 

contribute to society,” says Mr Campbell. 

“There is also a huge element about giving back - we are 

very much into making sure young people not only get but also 

give back,” he says. 

The organisation has a number of programmes including its 

award-winning Big Brother Big Sister mentoring programme, 

the Foróige Youth Entrepreneurship programme, the Aldi 

Foróige Youth Citizenship Programme and Youth Leadership 

programme. 

The Foróige Big Brother Big Sister programme, a youth 

mentoring initiative that matches an adult volunteer to a young 

person in need of extra support in their life, was presented with 

the Public Sector Magazine Award, for excellence in youth and 

community services. 

“We brought this international youth mentoring programme 

to Ireland in 2001. It brings an adult into the life of a young 

person who has additional needs or needs support and 

guidance. 

“It has had spectacular results,” he says. 

The Youth Leadership Programme is of exceptional standard 

as it is a university accredited leadership programme, which 

means young people can graduate from university with a Level 

6 Certificate before they ever go near college. 

“We have about 350 young people graduate from NUI 

Galway, at least a year before they do their Leaving Certificate,” 

says Mr Campbell. 

“These skills are taught to an incredibly high level. The 

programme is running between five to six years at this stage 

and there is nothing like it in the world. It gives prospective 



“Youth work can provide young people with a set of skills 

that they can’t easily get in formal education.” 

employers verification that the youths have these skills and 

know how to apply them,” he says, 

Foróige also works with vulnerable young people who 

require additional support through a full range of targeted 

services. These include Garda Youth Diversion Projects, Teen 

Parent Support Programmes and Neighbourhood Youth 

Projects which help young people to deal with issues associated 

with poverty, marginalisation and social exclusion, underachievement 

at school, early school leaving, youth crime, 

substance abuse and family difficulties in a safe friendly 

environment. 

All Foróige Clubs, Projects, Services and Programmes 

are designed to achieve these outcomes in a developmental 

and fun way, by building self-esteem and confidence through 

challenging experiences; develop the ability to manage personal 

and social relationships; providing learning opportunities 

which enable youth to gain knowledge and develop new 

skills and build young people’s capacity to consider risks and 

consequences, make informed decisions and take responsibility. 

As with many voluntary organisations today, one of the 

main challenges they face is funding. “We are still recovering 

from the Recession as we lost about a third of our core funding,” 

he says, 

“Another challenge is making sure we have a good flow of 

really good volunteers who help us do the work we need done. 

He says last year over 410,000 voluntary hours were given 

to Foróige which re-iterates the great reputation and tradition 

Ireland has for volunteering. 

“We do worry that volunteers are taken for granted and the 

professional backup and support to make volunteerism work 

is also required. Volunteers are an invaluable aspect of our 

organisation,” he says. 

“But we are very lucky in Ireland that youth work and 

volunteerism is at such a high level,” he says. 

“Just because Foróige is here 65 years doesn’t mean we will 

always be here. We need Government investment, we need to 

support our volunteers and youth,” he says. 

“There is nothing like Foróige anywhere else in the world 

and it needs to be minded and supported, just like our young 

people need to be.” 



A Guide to Child-Centred 

Complaints Handling 

Download A Guide to Child-Centred Complaints Handling published by the Ombudsman 

for Children’s Office on our website at www.oco.ie 

the Public Sector Magazine 25 

i


“For their experience 

and expertise” 

Thelma Mansfield 

Homeinstead.ie 


Call 1890 930 847


Person Centred Home Care 

Home Instead Senior Care calls on leaders in Ireland to address its growing and increasingly complex care needs through 

person-centred, outcomes-driven home care 

The Global Coalition on Ageing (GCOA) recently released a 

groundbreaking report, titled Relationship-Based Home Care: A 

Sustainable Solution for Europe’s Elder Care Crisis. The report 

examines the growing and increasingly complex care challenges 

facing Europe due to rapid ageing across the continent. The 

report explores how relationship-based home care can enable 

ongoing delivery of high-quality, person-centred, and outcomesbased 

care to older adults that improves lives while bending 

the healthcare cost curves exploding across Europe. The report 

proposes a set of policy actions to support the integration of this 

innovative form of care into European health and care systems. 

“Relationship-based home care offers a sustainable solution 

for the growing care needs across Europe and represents the 

highest-quality care in the home that we can offer our seniors,” 

said Ed Murphy, Director of Home Instead Senior Care. “This 

highly personalised type of care creates benefits not only for 

older adults and their families, but also for our health and 

care systems, governments, and society as a whole. The report 

highlights ways that policy-makers, business, and third-sector 

organisations can work together to help Ireland and other 

European countries spend smarter on long-term care as the 

needs of an ageing population skyrocket.” 

Ireland is in the midst of a massive demographic shift. The 

most recent population projections from the Central Statistics 

Office (CSO) showed 2011 levels of 532,000 old people could 

reach 860,700 by 2026, and increase by a further 470,000 by 2046. 

As the population ages, more and more people will need 

help with their daily activities. With more older people living 

longer – and more living with conditions that impact their 

ability to live independently, such as heart failure, diabetes, 

Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms of dementia – long-term 

care costs will be unsustainable. 

At the same time, Ireland faces a shortfall of qualified carers. 

According to Carers Ireland, there are already 161,000 family 

carers in Ireland who look after family members of friends in 

their own home. 

“Systems across Europe and around the world must 

change if we are to address the mounting care crisis and 

continue caring for our ageing loved ones the way they should 

be cared for. We can no longer afford to rely primarily on 

daughters and sons to fill this gap; we need new and better 

care options and a trained and compassionate workforce to 

deliver that care,” continued Ed Murphy. 

The findings in the report – drawn from publicly available data 

and interviews with health and care experts across Ireland and 

Europe – shed light on how the integration of relationship-based 

home care in health and care systems can bring value across society 

through wide-ranging benefits such as reduced care costs, better 

care coordination, better care for people living with dementia, 

better outcomes to seniors, reduced burden on families, and 

increased employment opportunities, among many others. 

The report calls on leaders to expand the capacity to 

provide high-quality care to seniors by addressing barriers to 

relationship-based home care in their countries. The report 

urges policy-makers to: 

Build a body of evidence that quantifies the value of relationship-based 

home care, and make it a standard offering within the care ecosystem. 

n Support outcomes-based research on the merits of relationshipbased 

home care compared to task-based home care 

n Establish person-centred, outcomes-driven standards for care 

n Integrate relationship-based care as a central part of the care 

ecosystem 

Make a highly skilled caregiving workforce the heart of the solution. 

n Promote caregiving as a promising, fulfilling career 

opportunity 

n Provide professional training for carers 

n Adopt standards that raise the bar for caregiving across the 

industry 

n Invest in the current and future caregiving workforce to 

ensure the supply of carers keeps pace with the demand 

Invest in high-quality care as a solution for people living with 

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. 

n Recognise the value of Alzheimer’s care in the home 

n Promote continuity of care for those living with Alzheimer’s 

n Increase investments in high-quality, person-centred care for 

those with Alzheimer’s commensurate with investments in 

biomedical research 

“As care in the home becomes more common and more desired 

for older people, the care system in Ireland must adapt to 

deliver care that promotes prevention and wellness, maintains 

functional ability, and mitigates costs,” said Ed Murphy. “Our 

health and social care systems must integrate relationship-based 

home care as a core component of the care ecosystem because 

care based on a checklist of tasks alone will not be able to 

deliver that quality. We look forward to working with leaders to 

enhance care models and improve the lives of older people and 

their families, health systems, and society.” 

For a copy of the report visit HomeInstead.ie or call 1890 930 847 



Value-based Health 

Procurement 

In recent years the HSE Procurement Division, headed up by John Swords has focussed on a range of reform measures 

including the centralisation of procurement activities, streamlining processes, increasing productivity and efficiencies 

and driving down costs. 

John Swords was appointed Head of Procurement in the 

Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2010. His 30-year career in 

HSE has seen him work both in its Finance and Procurement 

departments. He is now responsible for the strategic operational 

development and management of all Procurement related 

activity in the HSE. 

During his tenure he has implemented significant reforms 

and cost saving initiatives within his Department while 

striving to ensure that the ultimate priority of improving 

patient care is never compromised. He was instrumental in the 

implementation of a Single National Procurement Model for 

HSE which has been a key enabler in achieving cost reductions, 

increased efficiencies and the adoption of streamlined 

standardised procurement process to avoid duplication of effort. 

Currently in line with Government Decision, HSE 

Procurement are actively engaged in developing a plan for 

‘One Voice’ for Health Procurement. This project involves a 

three-year HSE Procurement Plan based around improving its 

sourcing, logistics and systems while showing the benefits they 

will bring to front line services. 

Any assessment of procurement within the HSE has to take 

account of the sheer scale of the organisation. The body charged 

with running all the public health services in Ireland employs 

more than 100,000 people and strives to manage services in 



a manner which put patients and clients at the centre of the 

organisation. 

The HSE Procurement division which Swords heads up 

is a team of 580 people responsible for the strategic sourcing, 

purchasing, storage and distribution of HSE goods and service. 

The value of services, supplies and works that will be procured 

in Ireland over the next five years will be at least €85 billion. 

With the HSE accounting for more than 40% of the entire 

market, the organisation has a considerable impact on the entire 

public procurement process in Ireland and the almost 20,000 

companies which tender every year. 

The procurement system is vital to the delivery of quality 

health care, according to Swords and the key challenge facing 

the procurement division lies in maintaining and improving the 

quality and efficiency of the service despite growing demands 

due to an aging population. 

“The money being invested into health sector procurement 

is shrinking while the demand for 

services is growing, so we have to create 

efficiencies that will reduce costs and 

make services sustainable,” he said. 

Once efficient procurement models 

are found, Mr Swords says they must be 

translated into benefits for the patient, 

monitored and communicated, so that 

stakeholders understand their value and 

support their implementation. 

“If we manage to positively impact 

the patient experience, then we can 

use this experience to convince senior 

management to invest time and effort into 

procurement change.” 

While the economic recovery is now 

well underway, much of the pressure 

to drive down costs in recent years has 

emanated from the Department of Public 

Expenditure and Reform which has been 

under orders from the EU to significantly 

reduce health spending. 

“I think we have made significant 

progress in terms of improving efficiencies 

and in achieving better value for money 

in the delivery of patient care. It is not 

always recognised or acknowledged and 

the HSE can be an easy target for critics. But we have made 

great strides and initiated significant reforms which will stand 

us well into the future. 

“We have a great team of energetic, committed and 

talented people here who have been key to driving savings and 

implementing a centralised approach while focussing on the 

greater aggregation of purchasing. 

“Ultimately it is about ensuring that everyone has easy 

access to high quality procurement services that they have 

confidence in and that procurement staff are proud to provide. 

The challenge for us is to ensure that procurement contributes to 

the delivery of a better service and improved outcomes. That is 

what we will be judged on and we are very happy to stand over 

our performance in that regard.” 

While patient care is the ultimate priority, Swords also points 

“The money being 

invested into 

health sector 

procurement is 

shrinking while 

the demand 

for services is 

growing, so we 

have to create 

efficiencies that 

will reduce costs 

and make services 

sustainable,” 

to their responsibility to assist and support SME’s and other 

companies with which they engage. “It is important to recognise 

the role of innovation, and particularly indigenous SMEs, in 

promoting sustainable growth and improving efficiency and 

quality in the delivery of healthcare services,” he says. 

“We value our relationships with clients and we are 

committed to fair competition, prompt payment and social 

responsibility. We expect suppliers to maintain security of 

supply, consistent and favourable pricing, sales and marketing 

activity, comply with all legal requirements, providing 

management information and act ethically.” 

Efforts undertaken to maximise price harmonisation across 

the HSE have also yielded benefits in terms of optimising the 

efficiencies which can be achieved through a single procurement 

organisation and helping to create a level playing field and 

achieve the same price for the same product from suppliers in 

all areas. 

Early in his tenure, Swords focussed 

on remodelling the HSE Procurement’s 

Logistics and Inventory Management 

(L&IM) function, which is responsible for 

purchasing, storage and distribution of 

HSE goods and services. It now features 

an increased level of stock management 

at point of use (POU) and the previously 

fragmented stores infrastructure has been 

consolidated. A sophisticated, modern 

supply system has also been put in place. 

The organisation received the Best 

Use of Technology Award at the National 

procurement Awards 2013 for introducing 

voice directed technology to generate 

significant productivity and accuracy 

gains at the National Distribution Centre 

in Tullamore - which in turn distributes to 

nine hubs. 

This has, eliminated paper and 

improved pick accuracy and efficiency. 

Typically voice solutions prevent at least 

80 per cent of picking errors by picking 

the wrong product or the wrong quantity. 

Looking to the future, Mr Swords 

predicts that healthcare will continue 

to focus on collaborative solutions and 

public and private sector stakeholders will work more closely 

together. 

“I think the future of healthcare will involve central 

solutions, but delivering them at a more local or regional level. 

At the present time, some of the procurement decisions that 

need to be made can’t be, because we haven’t the harmony 

between public sector and third sector health organisations. 

“The biggest challenge that we face in the health sector is 

that we are mandated to be a single entity, but we are not there 

yet; so we have to change the way we work. 

Health has certainly been changing over the last 20 years 

and will continue to change: “What we have to do is to try and 

build procurement in a sustainable way that outweighs the 

change process that’s going on all the time and continues to 

bring value to the organisation.” 



Working Together 

National Ambulance Service 

The National Ambulance Service (NAS) responds to over 300,000 ambulance calls each year, employs over 1,800 

staff across 100 locations and has a fleet of circa 500 vehicles. In conjunction with its partners, the NAS transports 

approximately 40,000 patients via an Intermediate Care Service, co-ordinates and dispatches more than 800 aero 

medical / air ambulance calls and completes 600 paediatric and neonatal transfers. NAS also supports community 

first responder schemes in conjunction with CFR Ireland. The mission of the NAS is to serve the needs of patients 

and the public as part of an integrated health system, through the provision of high quality, safe and patient-centred 

services. This care begins immediately at the time that an emergency call is received and continues through to the safe 

treatment, transportation and handover of the patient to the clinical team at the receiving hospital or ED. 

According to NAS Director, Martin Dunne, the service will move towards a more multi-dimensional urgent and 

emergency care provision model which is safe and of the highest quality. This is in accordance with international trends, 

the desire to implement the recommendations of the various reviews into the service and the ultimate aim of improving 

patient outcomes whilst ensuring appropriate and targeted care delivery. 

Delivering high levels of care is the priority at the National Ambulance Service College where all NAS emergency 

medical technicians, paramedics and advanced paramedics receive training and on-going revalidation. The college has 

the latest training aids and simulators which ensures comprehensive training in a consistent manner for all staff. It also 

trains call taking and dispatch staff for the NEOC. 

Training is further provided for the Irish coastguard, the defence forces, An Garda Síochána, health care professionals and 

members of voluntary organisations. The range of courses includes patient care programmes, leadership courses, tutor 

development, major incident planning and preparation and driving. The college provides vocational and professional 

education and training to ambulance and associated personnel based on current best practice, to meet the strategic 

and operational needs of the National Ambulance Service and the Health Communities and Patients it serves. 

www.facebook.com/NationalAmbulanceService 

twitter.com/AmbulanceNAS 

Building a Better Health Service 


Building a Better CARE Health COMPASSION Service 

TRUST LEARNING 

HSE National Ambulance Service 

Rivers Building, HSE Tallaght, National Dublin Ambulance 24 D24XNP2 Service 

Rivers T: Building, 01 4631624/6 Tallaght, E: Dublin director.nas@hse.ie 

24 D24XNP2 

T: 

W: 

01 

www.nationalambulanceservice.ie 

4631624/6 E: director.nas@hse.ie


To the Rescue 

Established following the creation of the HSE in 2005, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) plays a critical role in stabilising 

critically ill patients and transporting them to the appropriate healthcare facility. 

As Director of the National Ambulance 

Service (NAS) in Ireland, Martin 

Dunne holds strategic and operational 

accountability and responsibility for 

ensuring the efficient and effective 

delivery of Pre-hospital and Intermediate 

care services to the Irish population. In 

addition, he is charged with ensuring the 

service is delivered within the framework 

of national policy on health services and 

within agreed targets and resources laid 

out in the National Service plans. 

A frontline services veteran, 

Martin has served within the National 

Ambulance Service and its predecessor 

the Health Board Ambulance Services 

since 1987. During the course of these 

years Martin has operated in every 

aspect of patient care delivery within 

the scope of Ambulance Services and 

remains to this day a registered and 

responding Paramedic. 

Martin initially, after completing his 

leaving certificate, was on a mechanical 

fitter career pathway having studied in 

Bolton Street College of Technology and 

gained City and Guilds qualifications 

alongside Irish mechanical qualifications. 

He worked in this area for 6 years before 

joining the former North Eastern Health 

Board Ambulance Service in 1987. 

According to Martin, this career 

change has been more than fulfilling and 

his enthusiasm and drive has remained as 

strong now as it did at the beginning. 

Martin has pursued his personal 

development through obtaining a range 

of qualifications both in the pre hospital 

and management environment. He holds 

a Diploma in pre-hospital emergency 

care and many other qualifications in 

pre-hospital care delivery. He also holds 

both diploma personnel and systems 

management and has a Masters in 

Leadership from the Royal College of 

Surgeons. 

Married to Carina and a father to 

three daughter, Martin oversees a service which responds to 

over 300,000 ambulance calls each year, employs over 1,600 

staff across 100 locations and has a fleet of approximately 500 

NAS Director, Martin Dunne 

Martin has 

operated in every 

aspect of patient 

care delivery 

within the scope 

of Ambulance 

Services and 

remains to this 

day a registered 

and responding 

Paramedic. 

vehicles. The vehicles travel in excess of 20 

million kilometres per annum (total kms 

for the fleet in one year). 

Delivering high levels of care is the 

priority at the National Ambulance 

Service, according to Martin Dunne, who 

says that in recent years the service has 

moved towards a more multi-dimensional 

urgent and emergency care provision 

model which is safe and of the highest 

quality. This is in accordance with 

international trends and also in response 

to the recommendations of the various 

reviews into the service which have taken 

place with the ultimate aim of improving 

patient outcomes whilst ensuring 

appropriate and targeted care delivery. 

Last year the HSE National 

Ambulance Service invested €14.5M to 

bring 91 new vehicles into its services 55 

Emergency Ambulances, 7 Intermediate 

Care Vehicles, 25 Rapid Response Vehicles 

(cars/jeeps), 2 Critical Care Ambulances 

(containing enhanced medical equipment 

for critically ill patients) and 2 Driver 

Training Units. 

The NAS is committed to reducing, 

in so far as it practicable, its carbon 

footprint by improving the effectiveness 

and efficiency of its fleet and its major 

equipment components. As such the 

NAS has introduced significant change 

to its vehicle build specification over 

recent years to ensure it could meet the 

challenges of a changing environment. 

Green technology is now an 

embedded feature on all new vehicles 

and National Ambulance Service vehicles 

have smart systems installed to manager 

power usage, ECO technology installed 

to manage the amount of time that the 

vehicle idles, voice technology messaging 

to enhance safety and efficiency of 

vehicles as well as the use of solar light 

panelling on all new vehicles. 

The progress achieved by the NAS in 

this area was recognised last year when 

The National Ambulance Service won an SEAI sustainable 

energy award for the energy efficiency of the new vehicles, 

which include solar panels and other energy saving features. 


At the heart of the 

Wild Atlantic Way 

Gateway to the Cliffs of Moher & Burren Geopark 

DisCover the lanDsCape, the fooD, the people...the wilD outDoors at your finGertips 

Dine at 

The Falls... 

Stay at 


Relax at 


Falls Hotel & Spa 

Ennistymon, Co Clare 

+353 (0)65 707 1004 

reservations@fallshotel.ie 

www.fallshotel.ie


STAYCATIONS 

Breath-taking, stunning, wild, dramatic ... you will not see anything like it anywhere else on earth 



Some of Ireland’s most striking scenery can be experienced right 

on these very shores. Out at the very edge of Europe, the Wild 

Atlantic way stretches for 2,500 km (1,500 miles) along Ireland’s 

western seaboard. from Malin head in Donegal to Kinsale in 

County Cork, through regions like Connemara, Galway Bay 

and Kerry, it’s the longest defined coastal drive in the world - a 

sensational journey of soaring cliffs and buzzing towns and cities, 

of hidden beaches and epic bays. People flock from all over the 

world to visit our tiny island, so why shouldn’t we do the same? 

There are endless opportunities for discovery along this route. 

Every few miles there are places to stretch your legs, quench your 

thirst or grab a bite to eat. Maybe you’ll hunker down and stay a 

night or two to get to know the places and the people. You might 

join in the craíc at an impromptu session, go island-hopping, visit 

ancient sites, or sit by turf fires in traditional pubs, where your 

taste-buds might explode with fresh flavours. 



Ireland’s reputation as a delicious destination is alive and 

kicking. Our culinary pedigree has us patting our backs and 

our bellies at the same time. Across the entire island you are 

guaranteed a gastronomic delight and for 2018, Galway has 

been named one of just two European Regions of Gastronomy. 

Beautiful Galway has also been named European Capital of 

Culture for 2020! But don’t worry: there’s plenty going on in 

the City of Tribes before then. It’s a foodie haven, a bohemian 

dream and Ireland’s festival capital. Take your pick of the Film 

Fleadh, the Oyster Festival, the medieval architecture and the 

riotous fun of a trad music session at Taaffes pub. Or head 

down in October for the ‘Food on the Edge’ symposium where 

you can get a taste of some of the world’s best chefs including 

Angela Hartnett, Magnus Nilsson of Sweden’s Fäviken, Ashley 

Palmer-Watts of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and Slovenian 

star Ana Roš, voted Best Female Chef in the World 2017. 


THE REEL INN 

Traditional Music 

7 Nights a Week! 

World Championship 

Irish Dancers during 

the summer months! 

The Reel Inn 

Bridge Street, Donegal 

+353 87 4119994 

thereelinn@eircom.net


Top Hotels 

From castles and stately homes to heavenly B&B’s, has a feast 

of fine lodgings on offer. Killarney stormed into to 8th place in 

Trivago’s Global Reputation Ranking of the world’s best hotels, 

with Galway also featuring in the Top 100. Meanwhile, Condé 

Nast Traveller named Ardmore’s Cliff House Hotel in their 10 

Most Beautiful Clifftop Hotels list, and four of Ireland’s resorts 

feature in its Top 25 Resorts in Europe. 

The spectacular Ashford Castle and Adare Manor have both 

undergone extensive refurbishment while Ballyfin Demesne 

in County Laois refuses to be knocked off its perch as Ireland 

and one of the world’s top hotels. If you can’t quite stretch to 

staying in one of these fine establishments, why not pop along 

for afternoon tea? Resident or guest you can be assured of great 

attention, after all, hospitality is in our nature. 



Do we have a Golf image for here 

landscape 

Tee Time 

The island of Ireland is made for golf. From internationally 

renowned courses to welcoming local clubs in every corner of 

the country we have more than 400 courses including over 30% 

of the world’s links courses. From green parkland to rugged 

coastal links and everything in between, there is a course to suit 

every skill level and every budget. 

It’s a great way to take a bit of gentle exercise or to get 

competitive. There are golf courses where you can walk past 

five thousand-year-old dolmens or the ruins of medieval castles 

as you walk up the fairway. There are courses where you’ll 

return to clubhouses that are living breathing stately homes and 

centuries-old fortifications. There are courses where the sublime 

coastal views will physically distract you from your shot - hidden 

gems everywhere wrapped in mythology and legend. And there 

are courses that challenge the best with built in blind shots that 

require a healthy portion of luck, sheer brilliance or the assistance 

of a good caddy to get your ball where it needs to be. 

Golf Digest’s number 1 golf course on the planet is Royal 

County Down. The experts say: “On a clear spring day, with 

Dundrum Bay to the east, the Mountains of Mourne to the 

south and gorse-covered dunes in golden bloom, there is no 

lovelier place in golf. Champion golfer Rory McIlroy is a fan, 

too: “The more you play it, the more you recognise it for the 

class place it is.” 



On a clear spring day, with Dundrum Bay to the east, the 

Mountains of Mourne to the south and gorse-covered 

dunes in golden bloom, there is no lovelier place in golf. 

Champion golfer Rory McIlroy is a fan, too: “ 


ACCOMMODATION - VEGETARIAN LUNCH - CAFE SHOP - FREE DAILY MEDITATION - WALKS 

info@dzogchenbeara.org | 027 73032 

Beara Peninsula, West Cork 

Belvedere House, Gardens & Park 

Contact: 

Belvedere House Gardens & Park, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. 

Tel: 044-9349060 

info@belvedere-house.ie 

www.belvedere-house.ie 

www.facebook.com/Belvedere-House-Gardens-Park 

Location: 

5km south of Mullingar on N52 

1hour from Dublin, M4/N4 Exit 15 

A Fascinating Estate to Visit 

This magnificent 160 acre Lakeside estate boasts a fully restored Georgian Villa built 

in 1740 by the famous Architect Richard Castles for Robert Rochfort – later Lord 

Belvedere. 

The estate has a fascinating Victorian Walled Garden, with one of Ireland's finest 

collections of rare and special plants. The naturalistic designed 18 th century parkland, 

punctuated with Romantic Follies includes the largest in Ireland; “The Jealous Wall”. 

Within the welcoming Visitor Services Centre is a Licensed Restaurant and Gift Shop 

and there are also 4 outdoor children’s play areas & many picnic areas on the estate. 

Whether you are part of a gardening group, historical society, school tour, active 

retirement association, family gathering or group of friends, a visit to Belvedere is a 

superb day out with a difference. 

Sat Nav: Latitude/Longitude 

53.4761, - 7.3552 

Opening Times 

7days a week all year round from 9.30am 

Seasonal closing times apply 

Admission Rates 

Adult €8. Student/Senior €6. Child €4. 

Family Ticket (2 adults + 2 children) €23. 

Each additional child €3. 

Catoca Fine Food and Giftware 

Great food, great service, great location. Catering for all your 

special occasions and corporate events. 

www.catocafinefood.com 

Parking 

Free car parking available on site


The Big Hitters 

Killarney National Park and the Cliffs of Moher are regularly 

featured in Condé Nast Traveler guides – and for very good 

reason. The Cliffs sweep in jagged majesty down the coast of 

County Clare, while Kerry’s National Park hides castles and a 

Tudor mansion beneath towering mountains. Two of Ireland’s 

big hitters – and must-sees for anyone journeying southwest. 

North of the country Donegal continues to dominate. Not 

content with being voted the coolest place in the world to visit 

by National Geographic Traveller, Donegal has had the landing 

strip at its regional airport voted the second most scenic in 

the world. Anybody who has landed here will know why, 

and if you haven’t yet experienced the slow sweep over the 

spectacular bay yet, put it on the bucket list. Adam Twidell, 

CEO of PrivateFly and an experience pilot, said: “I have landed 

at Donegal many times and the rugged coastline of Ireland’s 

north west coast is even more awe-inspiring from the air, with 

the backdrop of Mount Errigal adding to the timeless appeal.” 

“Breathtaking, stunning, wild, dramatic ... You will not see 

anything like it anywhere else on earth ... An Irish welcome 

awaits every visitor”, were some of the comments made by 

voters about the landing strip. Flights from Dublin to Donegal 

take just 55 minutes; a magnificent way to enter the county and 

access the wilds of our northwestern gem. 

And travel bible Lonely Planet just can’t get enough of 

Ireland, falling head over heels for the Skellig Ring, “Ireland’s 

most charismatically wild and emerald stretch of coastline.” Of 

the wild and isolate Skellig Islands, it claims, “Nothing beats 

landing on Skellig Michael and climbing the stone steps to reach 

the intriguing chambers left by the monks.” It’s a challenging 

climb but the reward is a view to die for. 



Ireland’s Ancient East 

For those who love to peel back the layers of time, Ireland’s 

turbulent, mystical and inspiring 5,000-year history is waiting to 

be discovered by travellers through its Ancient East. 

Featuring three unique areas— the Land of 5,000 Dawns, the 

Historic Heartlands and the Celtic Coast— the Ancient East is a 

smorgasbord of fascinating destinations that is enough to satisfy 

the biggest cultural appetite. 

The northernmost stretch encompasses the iconic Neolithic 

passage tombs at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Boyne 

Valley and the legendary Hill of Uisneach, Ireland’s sacred 

centre. In May, the Uisneach Festival of Fire celebrates the 

beginning of summer, harking back to Ireland’s pre-Christian 

era and reviving this most ancient and primal of traditions. 

The Historic Heartlands is the setting for more high drama. 

In County Tipperary, sitting on a towering rock said to have 

been discarded by the Devil himself, the Rock of Cashel looms 

large over Ireland’s history. Here medieval buildings rub 

shoulders with a Gothic cathedral and castle, and tales of saints 

and kings abound. 

There are more than a few castles in the Historic Heartlands 

including the splendid Norman Kilkenny Castle and Birr Castle, 

home to the Great Telescope built in the 1840s, the largest 



telescope in the world at the time. 

The Celtic Coast takes in counties 

Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford and 

Cork and reveals more of Ireland’s 

colourful past in some of the country’s 

most impressive architecture, as well 

as dazzling scenery. In Wicklow ramble 

through the ruins of the sixth-century 

monastic city of Glendalough with its 

famous round tower, or stroll around the 

magnificent Powerscourt House and its 

award-winning gardens. 

Europe’s oldest lighthouse at Hook 

Head in Wexford offers a glimpse of 

the island’s maritime history, while 

Waterford City holds treasures and tales 

of its Viking past. Down in Cork there are 

many attractions including the famous 

Blarney Castle with its famous kissing 

stone, not to be missed by those aspiring 

to eloquence and the easy charm that 

comes so easily to the Irish. 

Ireland’s Ancient East offers a 

captivating journey through time but 

the region is also alive with fun and 

frivolity—from leprechaun hunts to 

music festivals—ensuring you leave 

enriched, enlightened and entertained. 

HISTORY SO CLOSE 

IT COMES ALIVE 

Explore the 1916 Easter Rising & 

Modern Irish History in a Spectacular Setting 

General Post Office, O’Connell St. Lower, Dublin 1 

www.gpowitnesshistory.ie 

European Museum 

Academy Award 

Winner 2017 

D8704 SNN Public Sector Mag Ad A4 June 2018.indd 1 20/06/2018 15:33 



Bringing History to Life 

No visit to Dublin is complete without visiting the GPO Witness History Visitor Centre on O’Connell St, Dublin 1, an immersive, 

interactive visitor attraction which brings history to life though technology, video, sound and authentic artefacts. 

Award winning GPO Witness History is located in the historical 

GPO (General Post Office) building on O’Connell Street, Dublin. 

This unmissable experience is a must see on your visit to 

Dublin. 

Explore the fascinating story of modern Irish History and 

the 1916 Easter Rising in this spectacular setting. The history 

of modern Ireland is brought to life through electronic touch 

screens, video, audio visual booths, sound and authentic 

artefacts. 

The GPO building, originally dating back to 1818 (200 years 

ago), was the communications hub of Ireland and headquarters 

of the men and women who took part in the 1916 Easter 

Rising. The Easter Rising set in motion an unstoppable chain of 

events which would ultimately lead to the creation of the Irish 

Republic. 

The visitor centre also features the Thomas F. Meagher 

Foundation Exhibition - the first ever permanent exhibition on 

the Irish Flag to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the first 

flying of the Irish Tricolour in 1848. 

Afterwards, relax in the courtyard café and browse the gift 

shop which are open to the public. This iconic venue is also 

available for private functions and events. 

For Further Information visit www.gpowitnesshistory.ie or Email info@ 

gpowitnesshistory.ie 

The history of modern 

Ireland is brought to life 

through electronic touch 

screens, video, audio visual 

booths, sound and authentic 

artefacts. 





College Cash Crisis 

There is no Irish university ranked in the world’s top 100, according to the latest QS World University Rankings 2019 which show 

the country’s higher education sector sliding further down the global league. 

Trinity College Dublin has dropped from 88th to 104 th in the 

latest QS World University Rankings which leaves Ireland 

without a university in the world’s top 100. UCD, the country’s 

largest university fell 25 places to 193rd. 

Five of the seven universities, as well as Dublin Institute 

of Technology have fallen down the latest rankings. Both 

The University of Limerick and Maynooth University have 

retained their rating from last year. University College Cork 

dropped from 283rd to 338 th while Galway has dropped 17 

places to 260th, its first fall in this ranking since 2011. Dublin 

City University fell from 391ist to 422nd, and Dublin Institute of 

Technology fell 651st t to 700 th . 

Globally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is named 

the world’s leading university for a record-breaking seventh 

consecutive year while Continental Europe’s best university 

remains ETH Zurich. University of Oxford (5th) has usurped its 

long-time rival, the University of Cambridge (6th) to be named 

the UK’s top institution. 

While other countries have increased their spend on education, 

irish universities are still hampered by austerity related cuts and 

controls on staff numbers which have yet to be reversed. 

The ranking organisers QS said employer reputation scores 

were down for all eight Irish colleges, and academic reputation 

fell at seven of them. 

“This suggests that institutions in other nations are 

receiving an increasing share of global academic and employer 

recognition, at the expense of Irish institutions,” the report said. 

The relative impact of Irish research also appears to be 

declining as the rank for citations per faculty were lower this 

year at seven out of eight institutions. But this was in spite of 

higher average citations than last year, which did not match 

global average improvements. 

Concern is now growing that the reputation of Ireland’s 

universities and the country’s education system is being 

damaged by the deteriorating international rankings of the 

country’s universities. Quality of education and a highly trained 

workforce is the key factor in attracting inward investment and 

the results will be of concern to policy makers. 

The president of the country’s biggest university UCD 

Professor Andrew Deeks said its fall from 86th to 536 in the 

QS rank of student-teacher ratios was a result of employment 

restrictions and reduced State funding, which he said can no 

longer be endured. 

“At a time when countries like China are investing billions 

into their best universities to reduce their student-teacher ratio 

to 10:1 and to raise their world standing, the Irish government 

perseveres with austerity level funding of Irish higher 

education,” Prof Deeks said. 

“As a direct result, Irish parents continue to pay the highest 

up-front fees for undergraduate education in Europe, and the 

standing of the Irish university system continues to decline 

relative to more ambitious systems,” he said. 

Despite an increase in public funding for third-level colleges 

by Education Minister Richard Bruton this year - with €100m 

more than a year ago now being invested - they continue to 

receive less than they did when thousands fewer students were 

attending a decade ago. UCD said that non-Exchequer income 

now accounts for 65% of its annual income. 

Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, is alarmed by 

the continued slide of Irish universities in the QS Rankings and 

that Ireland can no longer claim a Top 100 university. 

Commenting on the influential world rankings, Ibec Senior 

Executive for Education and Innovation Policy, Claire McGee, 

said: “This outcome is a direct result of dire under investment 

into the higher education sector over the last decade. The lack of 

investment does not match or support the national ambitions to 

be a global education and innovation leader. 

“Investment in education, particularly higher education, 

must be regarded as a national infrastructure priority. Ireland’s 

return to economic growth and success is underpinned by 

highly talented and educated people. It is imperative that 

we invest in our universities and institutes. These rankings 

damage Ireland’s reputation to attract and embed foreign direct 

investment to create more high quality and technology jobs. 

In addition, it impacts the universities’ ability to bring leading 

international researchers and their teams, to undertake cutting 

edge science and innovations to support Irish business, to 

Ireland. 

“Ibec has long called for Government to act on the OCED 

recommendations from 2002 to introduce a more balanced 

funding streams including income-contingent student loans. We 

must expedite the recommendations of the Cassell’s 2015 report 

and the overall process for higher education funding. We need 

to stop any further slide in rankings and the time to act is now.” 



INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 

Part-Time Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes 

- Now Enrolling for September 

• Certificate/Diploma in Public Management 

• Certificate/Diploma in Local Government Studies 

• Certificate/Professional Diploma in Public Procurement 

• Certificate in Housing Studies 

• Diploma in HRM 

• Diploma in Law 

• Diploma in Management 

• Diploma in Healthcare Management 

• Professional Diploma in Health Economics 

• Professional Diploma in Human Rights and Equality 

• Professional Diploma in Official Statistics for Policy Evaluation 

• Professional Diploma in Managing Change 

• Professional Diploma in Project Management 

• Bachelor of Business Studies (Hons) 

• Bachelor of Arts (Hons) - Public Management 

• Professional Certificate in Governance 

• Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management 

• Master of Arts (Seven Subject Streams) 

• Doctorate in Governance 

Delivered through Blended Learning 

Accredited by the National University of Ireland (NUI) 

Visit www.ipa.ie, email information@ipa.ie or 

call (01) 240 3600 for more information today. 



Education 

is Key to 

Success 

Part-time programmes for Ireland’s public servants at 

the Institute of Public Administration 

With summer entering its final weeks, people can be forgiven for 

being more concerned with any remaining holiday plans than 

with higher education programmes. It is at this time, however, 

that we should really contemplate whether this is the year to 

return to education in September, study subjects of professional 

and personal interest, and obtain a new qualification. There are 

always new skills to master and deeper insights to obtain. 

It is widely accepted that higher education is key to 

both career success and to effective public management. For 

adult students, however, a decision to return to education is 

complicated by their busy personal and professional lives. They 

require high-quality education programmes that are flexible 

enough to meet their circumstances. 

The Whitaker School of Government and Management 

at the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) will provide 

almost 70 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes this 

coming autumn. These part-time programmes are specifically 

designed for adults who want to obtain a nationally recognised 

qualification while keeping their various professional and 

personal commitments. Programmes are accredited by the 

National University of Ireland (NUI) and sit between levels six 

and ten on the ten-point National Framework of Qualifications. 

Flexible Delivery Methods 

IPA programmes have flexible study methods that allow students 

study at a time and place of their choosing and from anywhere in 

the country. These methods are highly valued by adults keen to 

pursue a new qualification but with many demands on their time. 

The IPA also recognises prior learning, so students with appropriate 

qualifications may be able to skip certain stages or subjects in the 

undergraduate programmes and thereby complete in a shorter time. 

Undergraduate Programmes 

Programmes at undergraduate level include Certificates, 

Diplomas and Professional Diplomas in a very wide range 

of areas, including public management, civil service and 

state agency studies, local government studies, healthcare 

management, health economics, housing studies, public 

procurement, project management, law, management, HRM, 

human rights & equality, managing change, and official statistics. 

The IPA’s widely regarded Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in 

Public Management, meanwhile, allows students to specialise 

in one of six specialised streams. A Bachelor of Business Studies 

(Hons) (with four specialised streams) is also offered. 

Postgraduate Programmes 

At postgraduate level the IPA offers a suite of Master of 

Arts programmes in public management, local government 

management, financial management, criminal justice, HRM, 

healthcare management, and leadership and strategy. These 

programmes—delivered through blended learning—combine 

study of various subjects with the preparation of a dissertation. 

Students receive comprehensive course material and attend the 

IPA campus in Dublin for weekend seminars over the course of 

the academic year (September to March/April). 

MA programmes take two years to complete and include the 

interim award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management. 

Other postgraduate programmes include a Professional Certificate 

in Governance, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business and 

Management, a Master of Economic Science in Policy Analysis, 

and a Master of Science in Business and Management. The IPA’s 

highest award—a Doctorate in Governance—facilitates research 

and debate on the key issues affecting European and Irish policy 

making and governance and involves residential seminars at 

which participants compare and exchange experience. 

IPA programmes are now enrolling. For further information, visit www.ipa. 

ie. To talk to staff about programmes, call (01) 240 3600. 



LAW 

AT DIT 

Dublin Institute of Technology has a long history of 

delivering high-quality legal education at all levels from 

undergraduate to postgraduate and courses in Continuing 

Professional Development. 

New this year: Master of Arts in Law 

Beginning in September 2018, the Master of Arts in Law (Professional) as a 

King’s Inns accredited Level 9 law degree. 

• Full-time - 2 days a week over 2 years 

• Part-time - 1 day a week over 4 years 

• No prior knowledge of law required - open to graduates of any discipline 

• Compulsory practically-orientated legal skills module for all students in 

first year 

• All Law Society FE1 Exam subjects offered as well as those required by the 

King’s Inns 

Postgraduate Diploma in Law 

DIT continues to offer the very successful Postgraduate Diploma in Law. This 

innovative, flexible programme offers a route to legal practice for non-law 

graduates: 

• Full-time – one year 

• Part-time – two years 

• Small class sizes (not more than 45 participants) 

• Participants working in Enforcement and Regulation agencies gain high 

level of expertise 

• Graduates may apply to Year 2 of Master of Arts in Law 

All programmes are delivered at our city-centre campus at 

Aungier Street, Dublin 2. 

Further information available on 

www.dit.ie or contact 

law@dit.ie 



Towards 

a Digital 

Future 

The 2018 Digital Strategy Action Plan for Schools features 

over 80 actions aimed at maximizing the potential of digital 

technology in the classroom 

The 2018 Digital Strategy Action Plan which was published by 

the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, recently 

sets out a roadmap for the twelve months ahead, to bring the 

Irish education system further along the path to being the best 

in Europe at embedding digital technology in teaching, learning 

and assessment by 2026. 

While the 2018 Action Plan includes the list of actions to be 

achieved this year, the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 sets 

out the government’s mediumterm plan to realise the potential of 

digital technologies to enhance teaching, learning and assessment. 

Digital technology has fundamentally transformed the 

world we live in and young people in Ireland need to become 

engaged thinkers, active learners, knowledge constructors and 

global citizens to flourish in modern society and the economy. 

Making this ambition a reality requires targeted and innovative 

use of technology to enrich teaching, learning and assessment. 

The 2017 Digital Strategy Action Plan which was published 

in June 2017 identified some 120 actions/sub-actions for 

delivery during the course of last year. Of these 113 were 

delivered representing a 94% completion rate. The remaining 

7 sub- actions have been carried forward into the 2018 Digital 

Strategy Action which aims to build on the progress made last 

year. It reiterates the goals and objectives set out in the Digital 

Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 and contains over 80 actions/ 

sub-actions to be achieved by the end of 2018. It will be followed 

by annual action plans in 2019, 2020. 

Key elements of the 2018 Digital 

Strategy Action Plan include: 

n Computer Science will be introduced as a Leaving 

Certificate subject from September 2018 – (phased 

introduction). 

n The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment 

(NCCA) will work with a network of schools to explore how 

coding might be best integrated into the primary school 

curriculum. 

n The Digital Learning Framework, which allows schools to 

assess their digital capability, will be assessed and improved. 

n Clear statements on the use of digital technologies will 

continue to be included in all of the subject specifications 

“Ireland has set itself the 

ambitious target of having 

the best education and 

training service in Europe 

within a decade,” said 

Minister Bruton. “To achieve 

this our system must be a 

front-runner in embracing 

digital technologies to 

enhance teaching and 

learning.” 



developed in 2018. 

n Clusters 

participating in 

School Excellence 

Fund – Digital will 

begin their projects 

& future rounds 

will be considered. 

n The Department 

will actively 

contribute to 

the whole of 

Government 

approach to internet 

and cyber safe 

security for our 

young people. 

n A circular will 

issue to schools on 

Minister for Education, Richard Bruton the usage of smart 

phone and tablet 

devices – this will require schools to engage with the school 

community including students and parents on their usage. 

n Continue to improve broadband services in schools. 

n Continuing rollout of the €210M capital investment 

programme to schools. 

We live in an online world and schools and universities 

and colleges have a responsibility to develop students into 

individuals who can thrive in an era of digital information 

and communication, according to Education Minister Richard 

Bruton. Those who are digitally literate are more likely to be 

economically secure and these skills are especially important 

in higher education given that graduate white-collar jobs are 

almost entirely performed on computers and portable devices. 

“Ireland has set itself the ambitious target of having the best 

education and training service in Europe within a decade,” said 

Minister Bruton. “To achieve this our system must be a frontrunner 

in embracing digital technologies to enhance teaching 

and learning. 

“Through the Action Plan for Education and the 

implementation of the Digital Strategy we will realise the 

potential of digital technologies to enhance teaching, learning 

and assessment to help students become engaged thinkers, 

active learners, knowledge constructors and global citizens. 

“The development of these skills is critical for our young 

people in an increasingly digital landscape for their future 

prospects in life. 

“Last year I provided €30M in ICT grants to schools and 

a further €30M issued this year and in the next three years 

I will invest a further €150M to upgrade the ICT facilities in 

our schools. A key priority to achieving these aims will be the 

enhancement of broadband services to primary schools, and my 

Department is working with the Department of Communications, 

Climate Action and Environment, having regard to the National 

Broadband Plan, in progressing this objective.” 

Spanish Estate 

Spectacular country estate for sale in Enguera, Valencia province. 

Experience the delights of Valencia: 

Country Estate 

Set in 25 hectares of land boasting 1.200 olive 

trees, pine trees and 300 vineyards, this truly 

stunning home has a floor area of 375m2 

set on 2 floors with 2 chimneys, a dedicated 

barbecue area and ancient wave. Ideal for 

horses and luxurious country living. 

Located in a spectacular and peaceful 

setting, the estate is just 10kms. from 

Enguera town and 85kms. from Valencia 

city, one of the Mediterranean’s great cities. 

On a clear day, it offers majestic views of the 

Mediterranean sea 

The region 

Valencia combines stunning scenery with a 

rich cultural heritage. From sandy beaches 

to spectacular mountain peaks and valleys, 

historic cities and delightful traditional 

towns and villages seemingly untouched 

by time. Full of diversity and unexpected 

contrasts, Valencia offers an exceptionally 

varied range of scenery replete with orange 

orchards, citrus fruit plantations, vegetable 

gardens and rice paddies, small hilltop 

villages, monasteries in distant valleys, lovely 

cities, castles, mountains for climbing and 

walking tours. The region is a nature lovers 

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For further information or to arrange an 

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Mobile : +34-619 19 75 74 

Price: €290,000, 

reengueracountryhouse 1/2.indd 1 14/08/2018 19:46 



Free Talks 

and 

Workshops 

Kildare Library and Arts Services 

Toys, Technology 

and Training 2018 

Attendance 

and 

Membership 

is Free! 

TTT is designed to offer support to children and adults with learning difficulties, 

disabilities or more significant needs. Based in Athy, Leixlip and Naas Libraries 

this specialised collection of toys and software can be accessed free of charge 

in branches throughout the county and can be borrowed or utilised by joining 

up at any Kildare library. Items in the catalogue can be requested or renewed 

online and collected by the borrower at their nearest branch library. 

Assistive Software & Technology 

Fine Motor Skills 

Gross Motor Skills 

Sensory And Tactile 

Play And Life Skills 

Speech, Language & Social Skills 

For more information contact: 

Kildare County Library Service 

KildareLibrary 

www.Kildare.ie/library 

Tel: (01) 6060050 



MA in Law 

DIT launches new Postgraduate Law Degree 

Building upon its reputation for delivering high quality flexible 

legal education, Dublin Institute of Technology has launched 

a postgraduate law degree beginning in September 2018. The 

Master of Arts in Law (Professional) is a King’s Inns accredited 

level 9 law degree taken over two years full-time or four years 

part-time. No prior knowledge of the law is required, and the 

degree is open to graduates of any discipline. 

Students take a compulsory, practically orientated, legal 

skills module in their first year of registration and a total of 11 

other modules of their choice over the course of the programme. 

All Law Society FE1 examination subjects are offered as 

well as those required by the King’s Inns. The postgraduate 

qualification is structured so that students can attend one day 

per week to complete the degree over four years or two days 

per week to complete over two years. 

DIT continues to offer the very successful Postgraduate Diploma 

in Law, taken over two years part-time or one year full-time. 

Graduates of the PGDIP can apply to second year of the Master 

of Arts in Law (Professional) while students taking the Masters 

can opt to exit with a Postgraduate Diploma after one year fulltime 

or two years part-time. Classes in both programmes are 

small; postgraduate law students are taught independently for 

most modules but are free to join evening undergraduate classes 

for specialist topics such as Prison Law & Prisoners’ Rights, 

European Human Rights Law or Family law. Class sizes do not 

exceed 45 with many having considerably fewer students. 

This innovative and flexible programme offers a route 

to legal practice for non-law graduates. It also allows those 

working in Enforcement and Regulation agencies to gain a high 

level of legal expertise. 



BA Ord and LLB in Law 

In addition to post-graduate law programmes, DIT continues 

to offer a level 7 BA ordinary in law. Taken over three years 

part-time, this degree covers all of the subjects required for the 

Law Society FE1 examinations. Applicants to this programme 

must hold a bachelor’s degree (level 7 or higher) in any 

discipline or a Certificate in Legal Studies (minimum level 6) 

from a recognised third level institution. The programme is 

also open to those without formal qualifications who have at 

least two years of relevant experience in a workplace in which 

law features prominently. 

Students on the BA Ord attend two evenings per week 

during the academic year on each of the three years of the 

programme. There are no classes on Friday evenings and 

tutorials are held on six Saturdays throughout the academic 

year. Students who complete the BA Ord can progress to the 

part-time, level 8 LLB in Law. 

Continuing Professional 

Development 

The School of Languages Law and Social Science offers 

continuing professional development courses in a range of law 

subjects. All courses begin in September and run for a total of 24 

weeks, 12 weeks in semester one and 12 weeks in semester two. 

Each CPD course entails attendance for 1.5 hours per week in 

the evening (after 6pm). Continuing Professional Development 

students do not take exams but complete a written assignment 

(essay style). Once they have successfully completed the 

module, they receive a CPD certificate. 

It is possible to use attendance at CPD modules as part 

of professional continuing legal education requirements for 

professional bodies. Each module provides 18 hours of class 

contact per calendar year and a certificate of attendance can 

be issued by the school. Students who wish to have their 

attendance recorded for this purpose should notify the school 

office when they commence classes. 

CPD modules available for 2018/9 include: Contract Law, 

Criminal Law, Company Law, Constitutional Law, Tort Law, 

Equity Law, Evidence Law, Property Law, EU Law, Employment 

Law, Administrative Law, Prison Law & Prisoner’s Rights, 

Refugee and Immigration Law, EU Human Rights Law, 

Criminology, Jurisprudence, Family Law. 

All law programmes are delivered at our ideally located city centre campus 

on Aungier Street in Dublin 2. Further information is available on the DIT 

website or by contacting law@dit.ie. 



Learning Lasts 

a Lifetime 

Cork City Libraries: –A vibrant, modern and vital 21st century public service at the heart of the Reading and Learning City. 

Cork City is only one of three European cities designated a 

UNESCO City of Learning and last September the UNESCO 

International Conference on Learning Cities was hosted in the 

city – the first time ever this event was held in Europe. Cork 

City Libraries hosted a variety of sessions and special events 

and played a crucial role part in organizing the Conference. 

They continue to participate extensively in many of the City of 

Learning activities including the Lifelong Learning Festival, the 

Bealtaine Festival for older people, and a range of adult education 

initiatives which support lifelong learning. In addition, libraries 

provide space and supports for classes organised by Centre for 

Adult & Continuing Education, in University College Cork, and 

the Cork Education & Training Board. 

These recent initiatives are par for the course at Cork City 

Council Libraries which has served as a vital resource for 

learning in the city for the past 125 years - going back to the 

days of Andrew Carnegie and before. Lifelong learning has 

become increasingly important in the 21st century while the 

needs of learners’ have become more diverse and personal. 

Cork City Libraries have evolved to meet the learning needs 

of children and adults and its staff, collections, and learning 

spaces provide the people of the city with the knowledge 

and information skills they need in the 21st century, and the 

workplace skills they need for their own advancement, and for 

the economic development of the city. These skills begin with 

One of the most significant 

challenges for public 

libraries is how to strike a 

creative balance between the 

traditional ways of doing 

things while harnessing 

the potential of a variety 

of technologies and new 

ways of working to improve 

service delivery. 

literacy in all its forms – digital, cultural and information – in 

addition to communication skills, critical thinking and problem 

solving, creativity, and innovation. 

Books and Reading Cork City Council Libraries are also 

the cornerstone of the Reading City. While the Cork World 



Book Fest 2017 was the high point of the 

Reading City, numerous other events 

took place last year which served to 

connect writers and their readers and help 

make Cork a true reading city. Libraries 

promoted the benefits and joy derived 

from reading by providing support to book 

clubs, book launches, author visits, and 

workshops. The essence of the Reading 

City is to promote a love for reading and 

to keep it at centre stage throughout the 

city, by providing a range of different 

opportunities for readers to meet some of 

their favourite writers. The sheer diversity 

of authors who greeted audiences and 

read for them in the cities libraries was 

one of the many stand-out features of both 

the Fest and the year-long Reading City 

programme. To name just a few, in 2017 the 

Library welcomed Juan Tomás Avila Laurel 

from Equatorial Guinea, Flavia Company, 

from Buenos Aires via Barcelona, Florian 

Wacker, a young German writer, as well 

as a wide range of writers in English and 

Irish from Ireland, and writers from USA, 

Canada and Britain. 

Technology in Libraries – no need to 

be afraid of the ‘Big Bad Wolf’ Libraries 

are no different than any other private or public sector 

organization and like all sectors of activity in the modern 

The essence of 

the Reading 

City is to keep 

the benefits and 

joys of reading 

front and centre 

throughout the 

city, by providing a 

range of different 

opportunities 

for readers to 

meet some of the 

writers they enjoy 

and admire. 

world , they need both to embrace new 

technologies while remaining mindful 

of the consequences of introducing such 

technologies. One of the most significant 

challenges for public libraries is how 

to strike a creative balance between the 

traditional ways of doing things while 

harnessing the potential of a variety of 

technologies and new ways of working 

to improve service delivery. In 2015 Cork 

City Libraries introduced RFID-enabled 

self-service kiosks in order to enable 

people to borrow and return library items 

themselves. From the outset they made 

it clear to the public as well as elected 

Councillors, and the media that this 

measure was not designed to replace staff 

but rather to free up staff from routines 

so tt they can better engage with the 

public, advise them on choices for books, 

answer other queries, as well as being 

close at hand to help out with the kiosks, 

for people not yet familiar with them. 

Regardless of application, the priority 

when introducing new technologies is 

to ensure that routines, procedures, and 

so on will continue to allow for creative 

interaction between staff and the public. 

People are and will remain our greatest strength: the people 

who use the service, and the people who provide the service. 



Transforming Spaces 

With the opening of Athy Community Library earlier this year, Kildare County Council Library Services have realised their vision 

of creating “a space to connect, to learn, to explore and to enjoy” for the local community. 

In March of this year, Kildare County Council Library Service 

opened a transformative new Community Library in Athy, 

breathing new life to an iconic community space. 

The extent to which the community has embraced and 

welcomed the new library has firmly dispelled any notion 

that libraries are outdated or have been rendered increasingly 

redundant by technology. 

In the first two months over 20,000 people visited the library 

while more than 3,000 people became members and 35,000 

interactions took place on the self-service machines. An estimated 

120,000 people are expected to visit the library annually. 

Athy Community Library has also hosted over 100 events 

since opening and has initiated a broad and diverse range of 

programs in order to encourage participation from a broad 



cross-section of the community. Events hosted to date include 

creative writing workshops for young adults, yoga workshops 

for children with additional needs to eServices workshops for 

older people on how to use tablets and smartphones. 

Located in a former Dominican Church, the building’s 

unique architecture provided ample 

inspiration for the project design 

and the library staff also played a 

key contribution in determining the 

imaginative and creative approach 

adopted by the design team. 

The success of the project illustrates 

the importance of continued and sustained 

investment in the public library service, 

not alone in Kildare but throughout 

the country. Athy Community Library 

received €1.65m from the Department of 

Rural and Community Development - 

Library Capital Investment Programme 

2016-2021, with a further €2.1m provided 

by Kildare County Council. 

Designed by Thompsons Architect 

and Designers, Ballinacurra House, 

Ballinacurra, Co. Limerick, the former 

church is a freestanding brutalist style 

church with a hyperbolic paraboloid roof 

constructed using reinforced cast in-situ 

concrete. Stained glass windows, original 

to the building bring an array of colour 

into the space which varies throughout the 

day with the movement of the sun. 

The library occupies a total floor space 

of 970 sq.m and functionality has been 

achieved using a collaborative approach 

with planning input from the local 

community, the library team, planners, 

architects and IT specialists. The space is 

largely open plan allowing for flexibility 

which allows the accommodation of 

future advancements. 

This openness allows for self-service 

facilities, increased interaction from 

library staff, enhanced citizen engagement 

and optimum accessibility – it is a space 

to connect, to learn, to explore and 

to enjoy. There are also 2 community 

meeting rooms that can be used by local 

community groups free of charge. 

Spaces have been created for all ages. 

The adult library space holds the vast 

multimedia, language and audiovisual 

collections, with soft leisure reading 

space and a broad range of literature and 

imaginative works. 

In the children’s and young people’s space the aim is to 

promote imagination, creativity and confidence. Introducing 

children and young people to the world of knowledge, ideas, 

science and technologies is a priority thus balancing the 

development of digital literacy with reading and imaginative 

In the children’s 

and young people’s 

space the aim 

is to promote 

imagination, 

creativity and 

confidence. 

Introducing 

children and 

young people 

to the world 

of knowledge, 

ideas, science and 

technologies is 

a priority thus 

balancing the 

development of 

digital literacy 

with reading 

and imaginative 

development 

as well as 

information 

filtering skills. 

development as well as information filtering skills. The 

children’s library is situated with high visibility to the front of 

the building, incorporating flexible furniture and providing a 

fun environment for children to discover, explore, play, create, 

imagine and enjoy. 

In any modern community library you 

can expect excellent IT facilities and these 

are dispersed throughout the building 

as appropriate to each age group and 

need. The digital services and IT space 

further enhances the library services 

role in the support of life-long learning, 

enterprise, employment, development and 

information literacy development. 

The multipurpose area in the original 

altar location is designed for flexibility. 

The furniture can be moved and stored 

away to accommodate floor exhibitions, 

lectures, workshops, conferences, 

recitals and training. The Kildare Library 

Programme Team has worked on a 

comprehensive annual programme which 

can be accommodated in this space. This 

includes the Parenting, STEAM, Healthy 

Ireland at Your Library, Work Matters, 

Shelf Help, Support for Secondary Schools 

Programmes, Culture Night, Children’s 

Book Festival, Summer Reading Challenge 

and many more specialised activities. 

Athy Community Library is a regional 

hub for the popular Toys, Technology and 

Training (TTT) Project. This is a specialist 

service provided free of charge through 

the Kildare Library Service since 2007. 

The project is designed to offer support 

to children and adults with learning 

difficulties, disabilities or more significant 

needs by providing access to a specialised 

collection of Toys, Assistive Technology 

and Software. Based in Athy, Leixlip and 

Naas Libraries this specialised collection 

of toys, can be accessed in any of Kildare 

Library Services branches or on the Mobile 

Library service throughout the county 

and can be borrowed or utilised by joining 

up at any Kildare library. Items in the 

catalogue can be requested or renewed 

online and collected by the borrower at 

their nearest branch library. 

Membership of TTT is free to those 

working/ living/ attending school in 

County Kildare. This collection has been 

chosen by the staff of Kildare Library 

Service in partnership with occupational 

therapists working in the community. Athy Community Library 

and libraries throughout Kildare also host a series of free 

workshops and lectures to promote the collection and to offer 

further guidance, support and networking opportunities for 

parents, teachers and healthcare professionals. 



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Strategic Investment 

Government to refocus the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund to better meet the needs of a strong & growing economy 

The Minister for Finance and Public 

Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe 

has announced that the Government will 

refocus the Ireland Strategic Investment 

Fund (ISIF) on key Government priorities to 

ensure that the needs of the Irish economy, 

which is experiencing strong growth, are 

being met. 

This takes account of the risks that may 

be posed by economic overheating and 

the appropriateness of ISIF’s investment 

mandate given our current economic 

performance. Priorities include the delivery 

of Project Ireland 2040, supporting housing 

delivery, and enhancing the resilience of our 

economy and public finances. 

In making this decision, the 

Government also took account of the wider 

challenges facing the State, including: 

Brexit, the nominal level of public debt, 

national competitiveness, global economic 

uncertainties and geopolitical risks. The 

reallocation and refocussing of ISIF’s funds 

will better target Government interventions 

in addressing these challenges, ensuring we 

are better prepared for what lies ahead. 

Minister Donohoe has recommended 

that the ISIF should move from a broad 

investment strategy that is focused on all 

sectors, to a focus on the priorities that 

will support Project Ireland 2040 and have 

a more direct and positive impact on the 

economy’s long-term growth potential. 

These priorities include key sustainable 

economic challenges, such as investments 

that support: Indigenous industry; regional 

development; sectors adversely affected by 

Brexit; projects to address climate change 

and housing supply. 

On this basis, the Government has 

decided to refocus ISIF funds along the 

following lines: 

n The reallocations of the ISIF funds 

will be made through legislation going 

through the Oireachtas, including the 

legislation establishing Home Building 

Finance Ireland and the Rainy Day 

Fund. 

n The Minister for Finance will be writing 

to the Chief Executive of the NTMA 

to inform him of the Government’s 

Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure 

and Reform, Paschal Donohoe 

In making this 

decision, the 

Government also 

took account 

of the wider 

challenges 

facing the State, 

including: Brexit, 

the nominal 

level of public 

debt, national 

competitiveness, 

global economic 

uncertainties and 

geopolitical risks. 

decision to request that ISIF develops a 

refocused investment plan, which ISIF 

will now develop. 

n The Minister’s officials have already 

held discussions with ISIF so as to allow 

it to begin preparatory work on the 

refocused investment strategy. 

n Speaking about the decision to refocus 

ISIF funds, Minister Donohoe stated 

that it was necessary in order to address 

the key challenges that our State faces. 

“ISIF’s refocused investment strategy 

will support the delivery of Project 

Ireland 2040 through investments in 

indigenous industry, the regions and 

sectors affected by Brexit,” he said. 

n “ As previously stated, €1.5 billion of 

ISIF funds are being allocated to the 

Rainy Day Fund with an additional 

€750 million going to the Home 

Building Ireland Finance initiative, 

which will better prepare us to meet 

future downturns that may lie ahead, 

and to help us to meet the needs of our 

citizens.” 

n The Government decision on ISIF is 

based on the statutory review of ISIF’s 

investment strategy as required under 

section 40 of the National Treasury 

Management Agency (Amendment) Act 

2014, and also detailed analysis of the 

State’s economic and fiscal position by 

the Department of Finance, and the key 

challenges now facing the State. 

n The review of ISIF concluded that ISIF 

is meeting its statutory objectives of 

economic impact and a commercial 

return, and ISIF has leveraged higher 

levels of investment in the Irish 

economy than initially forecasted. 

However, the review also flagged 

the need for further consideration 

of the appropriateness of ISIF’s 

investment mandate given the current 

performance of the Irish economy 

and the wider challenges to the State. 

The Government and the Minister are 

particularly aware of the risks posed 

by economic overheating, for which 

the Government has adopted a broadly 

neutral Exchequer fiscal strategy. 



SRA roles out 

the future 

We’re now just over 44 months down the road since the consolidation of regional governance created the Southern Regional 

Assembly, the Northern and Western Regional Assembly and the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly. 



Each of the three assemblies have been 

granted considerable additional powers and 

now exert considerable influence in relation 

to planning and economic development. 

The Assemblies main functions are 

to: Manage and monitor EU programmes 

of Assistance ; co-ordinate, promote 

and support strategic planning and 

sustainable development of the region; 

promote effective local government 

and public services in the region, in 

conjunction with the National Oversight 

and Audit Commission; and prepare and 

oversee the implementation of Regional 

Spatial & Economic Strategies (RSES). 

For its part, Southern Regional 

Assembly (SRA) is made up of 33 

councillors who are nominated by their 

respective local authorities from within 

the Region. 

David Kelly 

David Kelly as acting Director is 

the public face of the SRA and remains 

very positively disposed towards the 

changes that have evolved since the new 

Assemblies became real-life bodies in 

January 2015. 

“Overall, I would say it has been very 

positive,” Kelly enthuses. “The combining 

of the two principal functions of the 

structural funds management together 

with our new role with regard to regional 

economic and spatial planning is very 

progressive. The integration of the two 

functions together is a very positive move.” 

Kelly is clearly energised by the 

direction the SRA is heading and believes 

that the integrated approach to spatial, 

economic and social planning strengthens 

regional democracy in Ireland. 

In that regard, the SRA chief is 

delighted to witness the integration - 

which is currently at an advanced stage – 

in the form of a soon to be published draft 

strategy which is shaped and influenced by 

the National Planning Framework and the 

National Development Plan. 

Like its counterparts, the SRA receives 

funding from the Irish exchequer and the 

European Regional Development Fund 

(ERDF) to carry out its functions as the 

Managing Authority for the Regional 

Programme. 

With the next funding period of 2021 to 2027 peeping 

its head over the horizon, Kelly points to the wealth of EU 

programme management experience residing within the 

organisation and is confident of SRA’s continued central role in 

delivering successful programmes and supporting a range of 

Interreg programmes. He does acknowledge that 

“we have to continue to be strategic in how we use the 

In that regard, 

he says the SRA’s 

priorities are 

closely aligned 

with the priorities 

of the European 

Commission 

vis-à-vis the 

building of 

a knowledge 

economy, the 

upskilling of the 

workforce and 

supporting 

start-ups. 

limited resources. 

“Increasingly the money that does 

come from Brussels does not come to 

us as a blank cheque. The areas we can 

invest in are more and more prescribed by 

European regulations. 

“Currently we have five areas we are 

permitted to invest in. Firstly there is 

innovation research and development, 

the second is in urban regeneration and 

then there is investment in initiatives to 

support the drive towards a low carbon 

economy and the delivery of National 

Broadband Plan. Finally, there are funds 

for entrepreneurship and supporting 

small enterprises. 

“In the past a lot of money would have 

went into infrastructure now most of our 

money goes into people. That means it can 

go a lot further.” 

Kelly is looking forward to the 

Waterford city-headquartered body being 

able to plan ahead in terms of the economic 

fortune of the region and the more 

traditional physical planning “because it 

(funding) will now be integrated to the 

overall economic planning and not done 

on a sidebar as a standalone exercise.” 

The Southern Regional Assembly 

holds court over a large and diverse part 

of Ireland consisting of Carlow, Tipperary, 

Waterford (city and county), Kilkenny, 

Wexford, Cork (city and county), Kerry, 

Clare and Limerick (city and county). 

Kelly hopes that the economic and 

spatial strategies that the SRA is working 

on will support and copper fasten the 

job creation conditions in the region and 

sustain a burgeoning population in the 

above-mentioned cities and counties. 

“We have to translate the national 

planning framework now to the regional 

level,” Kelly declares. “We have to identify 

what are the main economic drivers in 

our region and we have to work hard at 

creating the environment to which the 

local authorities in the regions can bid for 

funding under new urban development 

funds and rural development funds.” 

The National Planning Framework 

envisages a consolidated growth in 

population in the cities of Cork, Limerick and Waterford and 

across the region within the next couple of decades and Kelly 

says the SRA is totally focussed on facilitating the accessing of 

funds garnered under the Project Ireland 2040 to embolden the 

cities and the network of towns within commuting distance of 

them and the entirety of the region. 

The current head of the SRA is certain the integration that has 

arrived “ it will bear fruit” but patience must not be in short supply: 



Members and staff of the Southern Regional Assembly, AGM, July 2018, Assembly House, Waterford. 

“There is a lot to do and it can’t all be done overnight,” Kelly 

cautions. “The overall planning framework is a 20-year strategy. 

“It will take two national development plans to fully 

implement it. A significant start will be made in the first 10 years.” 

Kelly and his colleagues on the SRA know that they have 

a tremendously solid base to work from in their attempts at 

propelling the region to greater riches. 

There is an acknowledgment among the SRA representatives 

that the region is very rich in natural resources, in terms of the 

talent pool of its people, agriculture and marine also and in 

renewable energy too; all areas that are being targeted for future 

growth. Simply said, the Southern region’s economic potential 

brooks no debate. 

However, Kelly believes that having everyone from regional 

to national level working from the same script is crucial to 

realising planned growth projections for the Southern region. 

“As you know there is a lot of sectoral policies and plans 

out there. A rich seam of actions and initiatives like the regional 

action plan for jobs and the Regional Skills Fora, a strong higher 

education sector, we are working with delivery agents of these 

initiatives to maximise the opportunities for our Region”. 

“Our approach to devising regional policy is pioneering, it 

needs to be in order for our region to succeed. We want every 

community in our region to benefit from Project Ireland 2040: 

The National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Regional 

Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES)”. 

The SRA chief explains that his Assembly is determined to 

optimise its resources in terms of spending and planning. 

In that regard, he says the SRA’s priorities are closely 

aligned with the priorities of the European Commission vis-àvis 

the building of a knowledge economy, the upskilling of the 

workforce and supporting start-ups. 

“We’re talking here about a shared management system. The 

Commission agree the overall framework for three or four areas to 

invest in and then it is up to each Member State how to utilise that.” 

Kelly is proud of the fact that the SRA uses its ERDF 

programme funding for research and development, working 

very closely with the Higher Education Institutes to enable 

them to develop their capacity to engage in research and 

innovation activities with industry and across a number of 

commercialisation of research schemes. 

“I’m pleased to say that our collaboration with higher level 

institutes and with industry is paying dividends. It means now 

the Higher Education Institutes have increased capacity to seek 

funding under the bigger programmes. 

“It is crucial that these institutions collaborate with industry 

to determine what local industry needs in terms of research. 

Then we take up the challenge of trying to commercialise that 

research.” It’s a brave new world in regional planning and 

regional governance, the Assembly members are mindful of the 

critical role they have assumed and the reach of the decisions 

they are making in the guise of the approving the RSES. They 

are guided in these critical decisions by strong principles of 

sustainable and equitable development, and a recognition that 

the rewards will be experienced by all the regions citizens. 

Kelly concludes by describing the SRA’s collective vision 

for the Region, “it is one that nurtures all our places to realise 

their full potential, to achieve economic prosperity and 

improved quality of life for all our citizens, promote the region’s 

international reputation as one of Europe’s most creative, 

innovative, greenest and liveable regions”. 

Mr. Stephen Blair, retired from as Director of the Southern Regional 

Assembly in July 2018 having served faithfully for 18 years, from the 

establishment of the Assembly in 2000. Mr. David Kelly is currently 

acting Director of the Assembly. David joined the Assembly in 2001 and 

has served as a Programme Executive and has been Assistant Director, 

European Programme Division for the past 10 years. 





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On the Crest of a Wave 

The latest figures on Ireland’s Ocean Economy published by NUI Galway shows in 2017 the direct economic value of the ocean 

economy was €1.97 billion representing a 22% increase on 2015. 

The updated figures from NUI Galway’s Socio-Economic 

Marine Research Unit (SEMRU) indicate that in 2017, 

the direct economic value of Ireland’s ocean economy 

was an estimated €1.97 billion or approximately 1% of 

gross domestic product (GDP), which represents a 21% 

increase on 2015 figures. The 2017 estimates also suggest 

that our ‘blue economy’ continues to grow at a faster 

pace than the general economy. 

Dr Stephen Hynes, Director of SEMRU from the 

Whitaker Institute for Innovation and Societal Change 

at NUI Galway, said the latest figures indicate that 

Ireland’s ocean economy continues to see substantial 

growth across both established and emerging marine 

industries. “While 2016 saw a large increase in activity 

in the oil and gas industry on the back of the Corrib gas 

project coming on line, more recent growth in 2017 is 

being driven by strong performances in the aquaculture, 

sea fisheries, shipping and marine tourism industries, 

as well as continued growth in the emerging ocean 

industries,” he said. 

Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth – An Integrated 

Marine Plan for Ireland, published in July 2012, outlines 

a number of specific targets which seek to expand 

Ireland’s ocean economy. One of those targets aims 

to double its value to 2.4% of GDP by 2030. This 2.4% 

figure was based on a total estimate (both direct and 

indirect Gross Value Added) in 2007 for the Irish Ocean 

OCEAN WEALTH 2017 

The ocean economy had a turnover of €5.49 billion in 2017. 

The indirect economic value in 2017 amounted to €1.75 billion, with a total 

direct and indirect gross value added (GVA) value of €3.71 billion, which 

represents 1.85% of GDP. 

The ocean economy provided employment to over 32,500 individuals, fulltime 

equivalents in 2017. 

Established Marine Industries had a turnover of €5.1 billion and provided 

employment to 30,000 full-time equivalents in 2017, representing 92% of 

the total turnover and 93% of total employment in Ireland’s ocean economy 

in 2017. Oil and gas exploration and production, marine aquaculture and 

tourism and leisure in marine and coastal areas, all experienced a significant 

increase in activity, with turnover, GVA and employment increasing across the 

sector in the 2015-2017 period. In line with an estimated increase in tourism 

activity generally in Ireland it is assumed that the tourism in marine and 

coastal areas increased by 6.7%. The shipping and maritime transport sector 

also exhibited increases, as seen by the 6% increase year on year in the Irish 

Maritime Development Office (IMDO)’s i-ship index in 2017. The i-ship index is 

used by the IMDO to gauge the health of the Irish maritime industry. 

Emerging Marine Industries had a turnover of €398 million and provided 

employment to over 2,000 full-time equivalents representing 8% of the 

turnover and 7% of employment in Ireland’s ocean economy in 2017. The 

emerging industries include advanced marine technology products and 

services, maritime commerce, marine biotechnology and bioproducts and 

marine renewable energy. 



“GENERATIONS OF STEVEDORING” 

• STEVEDORING 

• LABOUR SUPPLY 

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• AGENCY 

• CHARTERING 

• LOGISTICS 

• WAREHOUSING 

Dublin Stevedores Ltd. 

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economy that amounted to 1.2% of GDP at that time. The latest 

marine industry statistics from SEMRU indicate that the total 

direct and indirect value of the Irish ocean economy is €3.71 

billion which represents 1.85% of GDP in 2017. 

Addressing delegates at the annual ‘Our Ocean Wealth’ 

Summit at Galway Docks, which included industry leaders, 

policy makers, researchers and maritime entrepreneurs, 

Minister Creed said Ireland has taken important strides in 

recent years in developing our blue economy. “This is being 

driven at the highest levels of Government and represents 

a unique and joined up approach to growing Ireland’s blue 

economy. The work of our cross Departmental high level Marine 

Coordination Group (MCG,) which I chair, will continue as we 

seek to build on recent success,” he said. 

“The 2017 estimates suggest that our ‘blue economy’ continues 

to grow at a faster pace than the general economy. Growth in 

2017 is being driven by strong performances in the aquaculture, 

sea fisheries, shipping and marine tourism industries as well 

as continued growth in the emerging ocean industries. A really 

encouraging statistic is the growth in employment for the marine 

MARINE OPPORTUNITIES KNOCK 

According to the recent Global Marine Trends 2030 Report, the 

marine sector can expect strong growth across commercial shipping, 

naval sector, offshore energy and aquaculture in the coming 

decades. There is an enormous opportunity for Irish businesses 

operating in sectors such as engineering, energy, food and 

technology, to expand their offerings to the marine sector. 

Dr Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine Institute said Ireland is 

surrounded by oceans and has the potential to be a global market 

leader in the marine sector. “We already have a significant number 

of indigenous companies excelling internationally in the marine 

space, and there is an opportunity for more Irish companies to 

expand into this sector and lead with innovation, global ambition 

and backed by excellent research and facilities,” he said. 

PwC Partner, Declan McDonald, said the central theme for the 

2018 Summit demonstrates how the integrated marine plan for 

Ireland is moving into a new phase of commercial engagement 

beyond EU and Government funding. We see this theme developing 

globally with many investment managers and investors actively 

engaged in funding projects in line with the UN sustainable 

development goals. We see significant activity in the ocean 

economy to attract investors seeking returns. PwC in Ireland and 

globally continues to raise awareness and support the sustainable 

development of the ocean economy recognising that the oceans’ 

health and wealth are inextricably linked.” 

Now in its fifth year, Our Ocean Wealth Summit in association 

with PWC is supported by a number of partners including IDA Ireland, 

Enterprise Ireland, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), 

Science Foundation Ireland, Failte Ireland, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) 

and the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO). The Summit is an 

output of Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth, the Government’s integrated 

plan for Ireland’s marine sector, which aims to double the value of the 

marine economy’s contribution to GDP by 2030. 

sector which has risen from 27,888 (FTEs) in 2015 to an estimated 

32,509 (FTEs) in 2017, an increase of 16.6%.” 

The ‘Our Ocean Wealth Summit’ format now in its fifth 

year forms a key part of the Government’s integrated plan 

for Ireland’s marine sector and brings together national and 

international expert speakers, industry leaders, business 

development agencies and the Irish business and marine 

research community. This year’s discussions focused on the 

overall theme of ‘Investing in Marine Ireland’. 





First Port of Call 

Ambitious plans are underway at Dublin Port to double trade volumes by 2040. The company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), 

Michael Sheary talks to Public Sector Magazine about the €1.6bn investment aimed at future proofing the country’s most 

important Port. 

The severe snowfall which brought Ireland to a virtual standstill 

in February this year provided a stark reminder of the critical 

importance of Dublin Port to the nation’s economic welfare. In 

just a few short days supermarket shelves across the country 

were left severely depleted and reports emerged of people 

stockpiling groceries and essential supplies. The importance of 

shipping to a small island nation was highlighted in stark fashion. 

A self-financing private limited company wholly owned 

by the state and a national asset of vital strategic importance, 

Dublin Port facilitates the smooth passage of trade in one of the 

most open economies in the world. 

According to Michael Sheary, Chief Financial Officer, almost 

50% of all trade in the country passes through the nation’s 

principal port. “We depend on the ports for our ability to 

trade and Dublin port is the principal gateway for trade in the 

country. In terms of volume 90% of all goods leaving the state 

pass through the port,” he says. 

“We are an integral node of the logistics chain and our main 

objective is to facilitate the efficient flow of goods as part of that 

whole cycle. We see ourselves as an infrastructure provider and 

our principal assets are the berth, the quays and the approach 

channel into the port. In the past we were directly involved in 

crane driving, warehousing and other auxiliary activities but we 

have relinquished those responsibilities over recent years and 

we now concentrate solely on infrastructure provision and we 

let the private sector get on with the business of delivering those 

services. Our businesses is developing that infrastructure and 

future-proofing the port over the next 30 years.” 

The key role played by Dublin Port in underpinning 

Ireland’s trade and economic growth is apparent from the 

fact that historically throughput in terms of gross tonnage has 

tended to move in synch with overall GDP growth. Historically 

the correlation has been around 1.5% growth per percentage 

point of GDP growth although it varies from year to year. 

When the financial crisis erupted and threatened to sink 

the economy, Dublin Port suffered a rare blip in the sustained 



and uninterrupted growth rates which it had enjoyed over the 

previous decade. During 2008 and 2009, throughput declined by 

approximately 15% for the first time since the 90s. However, in 

comparison with some of the country’s other ports where trade 

volumes declined by as much as 50%, the capital’s port proved 

relatively resilient. 

“Dublin port is intrinsically linked to consumer demand 

and commodity imports such as food and clothes,” explains 

Michael. “We still had to feed and clothe ourselves and these 

items were not affected as much as luxury or non-essential 

items. A 15% decline is significant but some of the other ports 

were affected far more severely. 

“We also recovered quickly and in 2010 we grew by 6% 

and held steady for a couple of years before growth began to 

accelerate again.” 

Over the last five years throughput at Dublin Port has 

increased by 30%. In the first half of this year Roll-on/roll-off 

(ro-ro) freight increased 4.6 per cent to 508,000 units and it is on 

course to surpass one million units for the first time by the end 

of this year. The port’s container volumes increased 5.8 per cent 

to 356,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit. 

Currently 50% of all ro-ro traffic and 54% of Lift On-Lift off 

(lo-lo) traffic passes through the port and freight levels are now 

approximately 17% above the peak levels achieved in 2007 - just 

before the onset of the financial crisis. 

Today, 36 tonnes of traffic pass through the port annually 

and ambitious plans are underway to increase that volume 

to 77m tonnes by 2040. Representing an investment of some 

€1.6bn, the ‘Dublin Port Masterplan 2012 to 2040’ is the CFO’s 

overriding priority at present and it is geared towards future 

proofing the port and providing the additional facilities 

required to support a doubling of trade volumes. 

The overall Masterplan seeks to further re-integrate the port 

within the city and optimise the existing footprint of the port 

without reclaiming additional land from Dublin Bay. “The big 

challenge for us in terms of our future development and in terms of 

our ability to facilitate future growth in trade is to eke as much as 

we can in terms of the existing footprint of the port,” says Sheary. 

“Our ability to expand is very much constrained. If you look 

at the port, we are bound to the west by the city and to the east 

by the bay where our ability to expand is close to zero because 

we have special areas of protection under EU designation and 

there are also special areas of conservation for marine interests.” 

The overall masterplan encompasses three main projects, 

the first and most ambitious of which is the Alexander Basin 

Redevelopment project (ABR). Set to be completed by 2021 at 

a cost of €277m, the redevelopment will improve the port’s 

capacity for large ships by deepening and lengthening three 

kilometres of the port’s seven kilometres of berths and also 

deepening the entrance channel. 

Part of the river at Alexandra Basin is to be dredged to 

create 12m deep berths for some of the world’s biggest liners 

to dock beside the East Link toll bridge. The new deep-water 

berths by the toll bridge will have room for two 340m cruise 

ships and one 145m cruise ship. Berths will also be deepened 

and extended at Alex Quay West and Ocean Pier West in the 

docks to accommodate dry-bulk freight ships and container 

ships. Two berths for ro-ro freight ships and a large ship-turning 

area have also been included in the plans. 

“The trend we have seen over the last number of years is 

that ships are getting bigger. The quays here were originally 

built in the 50s and 60s and were never envisaged to cater for 

the loads which they are required to accommodate today,” 

explains Sheary. 

The second element of master plan involves a complete 

reconfiguration of the ro-ro terminals which currently has 



three operators (Irish Ferries, Stena and 

Sea truck Ferries), that operate entirely 

independently of one another with 

separate checking facilities and security 

and road access. The reconfiguration will 

provide for a common usage area and a 

single check-in area which will maximise 

the space available and significantly 

enhance efficiencies. 

In addition, 44 hectares of land has 

also been purchased close to Dublin 

Airport where non-core activities 

associated with the port will be relocated 

in order to free up more space for transit, 

storage and cargo. 

A number of commentators have 

questioned whether the plan to double 

freight volumes over the next twenty plus 

year is excessively ambitious but Sheary is 

satisfied that the targets are entirely feasible. 

“Over the long run it is not 

unreasonable to see that level of growth; 

particularly in the context of the National 

development plan, which anticipates an 

extra million people living in the country 

by 2040. Effectively it amounts to a 

growth rate of 3.3% per annum and it is 

the compounding effect of that growth 

which will allow us to meet our objectives. 

We are talking about an investment of 

approximately € 1.6bn which is frontloaded 

and which will entail a spend of 

approximately €1bn over the next 10 years 

Ideally, we would like to be able to have 

all our planning permissions and licenses 

in place, so that we can turn the tap on 

and off as economic conditions dictate. If 

there is a downturn we can scale back and 

vice versa. 

“But the main priority for us is 

keeping the operators functioning as 

smoothly as possible. The model we have 

developed is delivering a very competitive 

model within the port and there are now 

four ro-ro operators and three container 

terminals competing with each other for 

business.” 

One potential obstacle which looms 

on the horizon is Brexit which is likely to 

significantly disrupt trade with the UK, 

our most critical trading partner. The UK 

accounts for 18% of our total exports and is 

the second largest single destination country 

for Ireland’s goods and the largest for its 

services. Meanwhile Ireland imports 30pc of 

its goods from the UK. 

“I do not think there is any commentator 

who would argue that Brexit will not have 

a negative impact on GDP growth; but we 

Over the last five 

years throughput 

at Dublin Port has 

increased by 30%. 

In the first half of 

this year Roll-on/ 

roll-off (ro-ro) 

freight increased 

4.6 per cent to 

508,000 units and 

it is on course to 

surpass one million 

units for the first 

time by the end 

of this year. The 

port’s container 

volumes increased 

5.8 per cent to 

356,000 twenty-foot 

equivalent unit. 

are forecasting growth nonetheless - even 

thought it might be slightly curtailed. On the 

other hand, I expect the strong population 

growth levels which are anticipated to go 

a long way towards compensating for the 

impact of Brexit. 

“Obviously, a hard Brexit will 

mean some sort of border control being 

reintroduced and that would certainly 

be unwelcome. However, we have to 

prepare for every possible contingency 

and we are working closely with state 

agencies such as the Departments of 

Agriculture and Foreign Affairs to 

determine the potential requirements in 

terms of food and sanitary inspections 

and to assess the kind of infrastructure 

that may need to be deployed. 

“We should also bear in mind that 

market forces adapt and respond to 

change and we have already begun to 

see that happen with the launch of Irish 

Ferries new service which runs directly 

from Dublin to France.” 

Dublin Port is also an increasingly 

significant player in the cruise and leisure 

sector. Last year the number of cruise 

visitors using the port broke the 210,000- 

mark for the first time and increased by 

more than 30% compared to the previous 

year’s numbers. There was a significant 

increase in the number of cruise calls at 

the port, with 127 ships making a stop in 

the capital, 18 more than the year before. 

Dublin Port Company also recorded 

an increase in the size of the cruise ships 

visiting the capital, with the average 

cruise ship increasing from just over 

39,940 gross tonnes to 45,270 gross tonnes. 

According to 2016 CSO figures, 

roughly half of all cruise passengers 

visiting Ireland pass through Dublin with 

Cork the country’s second busiest port. 

From a revenue or business 

perspective the cruise sector is not the 

most significant part of our business but 

it is important and we see it as helping 

to contribute to the economic growth 

of the city. Some of these cruises are 

bringing 5000 people to the port and that 

is a considerable boost to revenue for the 

hospitality and retail sector in Dublin. 

Dublin Port certainly appears to 

have taken note of the old adage: “Fail to 

Prepare – Prepare to Fail’ and it is putting 

in all the planning and groundwork 

necessary to ensure it continues to 

successfully facilitate trade in one of the 

most trade dependent nations on earth 



Maritime Master 

Harbour Master of Galway Port, Captain Brian Sheridan tells Public Sector Magazine of the urgent needs for expansion at 

Galway Port and outlines the potential of the maritime economy in the West of Ireland. 

Seafest 2018 

The Expansion of the Port of Galway has been a key focus 

of successive harbour boards for almost two decades. The 

executive and a raft of specialist consultants have brought the 

planning application with An Bord Pleanála under article 6(4) 

of the habitats directive what is known as I R O P I (Imperative 

Reasons for Overriding Public Interest). It will be the first 

planning application of this type to emanate out of Ireland. 

The Ports Harbour Master, Captain Brian Sheridan has 

warned that ships are getting larger, while the facility at the 

Port has remained unchanged for the last 180 years. “The 

narrow shipping channel and fickle River Corrib at the 

entrance at the dockgates make for challenging operational 

constraints, not only in manoeuvring these oversized ships at 

the outdated harbour but also in the port estate where we find 

ourselves surrounded on three flanks by residential, hotel, bars, 

restaurants and commercial units,” he says. 

However, he points out that port expansion is not a new 

or recent phenomenon and Ports will typically need to move 

downstream as the city they serve expands and grows towards 

them. “We can see this in other Port cities such as Dublin and 

Cork and we only have to look at some of the names of the 

quays such as ‘coal quay’ in Cork which is now a developed 

residential and retail complex. The clue is in the name,” he says. 

“Coal ships used to discharge there and was a hive of 

stevedoring activity. In Galway, Quay Street which sweeps 

down to the river is where ships used to moor and trade and 

commerce exchanged hands. Today, Quay Street is Galway’s 

most popular tourist destination, lined with pubs, restaurants 

and retail shopping regenerated from warehousing and 

maritime connected businesses.” 

Captain Sheridan points to the Galways’ strong maritime 

heritage and says that the people of the region and particularly 

those involved in the port and maritime industry are proud of 

its seafaring legacy and traditions. 

“We at the Port are proud of our maritime heritage, our 

connection with the sea and all who sail on her,” he says. 

“We only have to look at the logo and crest of City Hall and 

it reminds us that the reason Galway is where it is located is 

because of ships and the sea. Everywhere we look in our city 

there are constant symbols of our maritime links with marine 

transportation and the iconic Galway Hooker. 

Galway is a trading commercial Port city for more than 

1,000 years and its maritime heritage has been instrumental 

in shaping the city. “The port and trading ships have 

subconsciously moulded us into who we are, it has introduced 

us to foreign customs and crafts from the crews of visiting ships 



“For us to be able to 

efficiently utilise these 

resources on behalf of the 

state and create a true Blue 

Growth in our economy, 

there needs to be a modern 

deep water Port at Galway. 

There lies a stretch of 

coastline of 1,500km from 

Foynes to Derry where there 

is not a Port in the TEN-T 

network of Ports, when 

the average distance in the 

EU between Ports in the 

network is 204km.” 

and has opened our horizons as a people over centuries. The 

connection with Spain and the Spanish Arch spring to mind 

and also the 14 Tribes were trading merchants, improving the 

prosperity of Galway by way of trading ships.” 

In the 1830 Act for the improvement of Galway Harbour it 

states: “Since vessels of burden cannot with safety or convenience 

be brought to the said Port, it would be appropriate, in order to 

facilitate and augment the trade of the town and neighbourhood, 

that a suitable docks and quays be constructed which would be 

highly beneficial to the inhabitants of Galway.” 

According to Captain Sheridan the very same quote from 

the 1830 Act still stands today and Galway Port requires 

immediate investment to ensure it evolves and meets the 

demands of a modern economy trading globally. 

“We do not want to lose that connection with the sea or 

our trading nations and we want to continue that tradition of 

over 1,000 years by ensuring the Port infrastructure is fit for 

purpose, meets the demands of modern shipping, provides 

wharfs and quays that are capable of accommodating the needs 

of our customers and be able to continue an important economic 

driver in the region. 

He says that in the aftermath of BREXIT, the west of Ireland 

will become even more marginalised and the most peripheral 

inhabitants that reside in the offshore islands of Aran and 

Inishbofin will be even more isolated. “Even more reason to 

have a proper and efficient Port to ensure connectivity with the 

Europe,” he notes. 

In addition, Ireland needs to take advantage of the raft of 

offshore opportunities which exist in the maritime economy. “We 

Galway Port 

need to do more to capitalise on our Ocean Wealth, whether that 

is in Aquaculture, Natural Resources such as wind and wave 

energy, Cruise Tourism, Seafood and Marine Leisure,” he says. 

“For us to be able to efficiently utilise these resources 

on behalf of the state and create a true Blue Growth in our 

economy, there needs to be a modern deep water Port at 

Galway. There lies a stretch of coastline of 1,500km from Foynes 

to Derry where there is not a Port in the TEN-T network of 

Ports, when the average distance in the EU between Ports in the 

network is 204km. This needs to be reversed and a review of the 

Ports Policy in light of BREXIT needs to be undertaken. 

“The Volvo Ocean Race in 2009 and again in 2012 caused us 

as a people to re-engage with the ocean and turn around and 

face the sea. SeaFest2018 in Galway for its third consecutive 

year to celebrate ‘Our Ocean Wealth’ from the 29th June to the 

1st July when the city and region will embrace what is arguably 

Ireland’s greatest natural resource, the Ocean. Year on year, 

SeaFest has grown in popularity demonstrating Galwegians grá 

for all things maritime. 

“The Port expansion is a vital springboard is moving the west 

of Ireland forward in future proofing our capability to harness 

our ocean wealth, to improve our ocean literacy, to promote the 

Wild Atlantic Way for cruise tourism and marine leisure, make 

Galway the seafood capital of Ireland and develop it into the 

leading Research Port for the Atlantic Arc and thus creating an 

economic counter balance to the east coast which is overheating. 

“We live on an island and we need to start thinking like 

islanders and with the uncertainty of BREXIT the Port is needed 

more than ever before and we need to deliver this necessary 

infrastructure for the west of Ireland and to bring the Port under 

the TEN-T European Network of Ports.” 



Marine Learning 

Field based learning & continued professional development in NUI Galway: MSc Coastal and Marine Environments 

The MSc in Coastal and Marine Environments is a full-time 

postgraduate course delivered over three semesters. It is directed at 

graduates from Geography, Natural and Environmental Sciences 

and related disciplines in the Social Sciences, and at professionals in 

the field who are interested in furthering their knowledge of climate 

change and their impacts on coastal and marine environments. 

Earlier this year the Irish Government established four local 

authority Regional Climate Change Offices (CAROs) to meet 

obligations under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development 

Act 2015. The CAROs are implementing new sustainable coastal 

and marine management strategies based on guidelines developed 

described within the National Adaptation Framework. Subsumed 

within these plans is the long term goal of “building adaptive 

capacity” and “increasing climate resilience” of our socio-ecological 

and economic systems. This MSc programme, theoretically informed 

but with a very strong field-based and applied focus, is offered in 

direct response to these emerging statutory laws that are now the 

legal instruments to manage coastal and marine environments. 

THE MSC SEEKS TO: 

n Teach students and professionals how to implement new 

climate change adaptation guidelines. 

n Develop critical insights that can support policy and practice 

in sustaining these increasingly vulnerable environments. 

n Challenge and facilitate students to engage with research 

questions that go beyond established scientific conceptual 

and theoretical perspectives. 

There are a variety of key areas covered in the course 

programme including, coastal processes and landforms, 

marine spatial planning and policy, reconstructing marine 

environments (+ research cruise experience), field and 

laboratory methods, biodiversity and coastal change, the 

tropical ocean and global climate and dissertation. 

According to Dr. Eugene Farrell, Discipline of Geography 

at NUI Galway it is critical that the next generation of scientists 

are properly trained and provided with accredited continued 

professional development as Ireland implements new climate 



A driving motivation of the 

programme is the conviction that 

informed decision making for 

addressing environmental change 

and adoption of appropriate 

management, planning and policy 

strategies in coastal and marine 

environments should be based upon 

appropriate scientific evidence. 

legislation, such as the National Adaptation Framework, and 

local authorities have new responsibilities for the transition to a 

climate resilient Ireland. 

“We hear and read about climate change impacts every day 

in the media; we have new statutory laws for climate change 

legislated by our Irish Government; and we research climate 

change science in our Universities,” said Dr. Farrell. “But what 

we don’t do effectively is communicate science to the policymakers 

and planners or engage sufficiently with the relevant 

stakeholders for whom the new laws are supposedly designed 

to benefit such as landowners, residents, visitors and managers. 

We can also do much more to create and mobilize scientific 

knowledge that can effectively inform and direct collective 

action with respect to the environment. 

“But I am satisfied that all these imbalances are been 

addressed in the NUI Galway 12 month taught MSc programme.” 

Dr Liam Carr, Programme Coordinator, says that while most 

new coastal and marine policies have commitments to consider 

the natural environment; scientific training is rarely offered in 

conjunction with these new policies. “Our MSc programme 

is designed to fill some of these gaps. Industry partners have 

repeatedly asked us to deliver 3-5-day accredited workshops 

for Continued Professional Development to meet these new 

demands so we have built capacity to do this,” he says. 

More information at: www.nuig.ie/Geography Twitter: @SeaShoreNUIG 

Facebook: CoastalMarineNUIG 

NUI Galway 

MSc Programme ‘Coastal and Marine Environments: 

Physical Processes, Policy and Practice’ 

Field based learning & continued professional development. 

The MSc in Coastal and Marine Environments is a full-time 

postgraduate course delivered over three semesters. It is 

directed at graduates from Geography, Natural Sciences and 

other related disciplines in the social and natural sciences, and 

at professionals in the field who are interested in furthering 

their knowledge of coastal and marine environments. 

For more information visit: www.nuig.ie/Geography 

@SeaShoreNUIG 

CoastalMarineNUIG 


AIB Corporate 


Banking 

proud to 

support 

Social 

Housing 

WE’RE 

BACKING BRAVE 

#backedbyAIB 

Allied 78 Irish the Banks, Public p.l.c. Sector is regulated Magazine by the Central Bank of Ireland.


Towards a 

Sustainable Future 

In a recent address to the United Nations in New York, the Minister for Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten 

defended Ireland’s progress towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 but accepted that more needs to be 

done to meet targets. 

Responsible for the Government’s implementation of the 17 

targets across economic, social and environmental policy, Minister 

Naughton acknowledged that Ireland faces major challenges, 

particularly in relation to housing and emissions targets. 

Other challenges identified by Minister Naughten include a 

national obesity crisis, meeting national poverty targets, achieving 

sustainable consumption and production, environmental protection 

and achieving full gender equality in Irish society. 

Minister Naughten also said that the Government intended 

to produce a new international development policy and commit 

financial support for global climate action later this year, 

Ireland is ranked 18th out of 156, ahead of the EU average in 

the latest sustainable development goals index report. However, 

there were criticisms in relation to Ireland’s performance on climate 

change actions; protecting waterways, especially oceans, and in 

maintaining biodiversity. 

Accepting that urgent action was needed if the goals were to 

be met, Minister Naughten said that pressures on housing supply, 

and consequent increasing house prices and rents and the rate of 

homelessness were one of the country’s most pressing challenges. 

“We are determined as a Government to increase Ireland’s stock of 

social housing by 50,000 homes by 2021, with the necessary funding 

being ringfenced to achieve this.” 

Project Ireland 2040 will be the driving factor in achieving 

the sustainable development goals at home, according 

to Minister Naughten who said Ireland would also 

continue to support the goals globally, 

“Ireland is playing catch-up on our 

obligations in relation to climate change 

and as a consequence, €22 billion in 

climate investment was part of the national 

development plan,” he said. 

“Project Ireland 2040 also includes a Climate 

Action Fund in excess of €500 million, which is €126 

for every person in our country, making it the biggest 

per capita fund of its type in the world,” he said. “This 

will stimulate innovative ideas and deliver concrete 

projects that will contribute towards Ireland’s climate and 

energy targets, while also addressing fuel poverty.” 

He highlighted innovative economic, social and 

environmental policies which Ireland had adopted, 

identified Ireland’s strengths in education; health, 

economic growth, innovation, some environmental 

issues such as air quality, and in supporting a peaceful 

and safe society. 

The Government would produce a new international 

development policy which will prioritise ...interventions on gender 

equality, peace, education, sexual and reproductive health, and on 

nutrition and sustainable agriculture. It will also commit financial 

support for global climate action later this year, he added. 

However, Coalition 2030, an alliance of over 100 Irish civil 

society organisations and networks expressed concern that Ireland is 

falling behind on its commitment to implement the United Nations 

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the group published its 

concerns in a report published as the Irish Government presented its 

first progress report on the SDGs at the United 

In its report, Coalition 2030 acknowledges the tremendous role 

played by the Irish Government in getting global agreement on the 

SDGs and the progress it has made to date to map progress towards 

the goals. However, Coalition 2030 warns that there are significant 

gaps in the Government’s National Implementation Plan for the 

SDGs launched by Minister Denis Naughten in April. 

Speaking in New York, Suzanne Keatinge, CEO of Dóchas, the 

Irish association of non-governmental development organisations 

said, “Much greater urgency and political leadership will be 

required if we are to ensure the transformative change that the SDGs 

envisage by 2030. The Government needs to develop a realistic 

costing and prioritise targets and outcomes, but also involve all 

stakeholders, particularly civil society, in that process. Only 

then will we meet the ambition of the SDGs which is 

to make sure that the needs of the poorest and most 

marginalised in society, at home and abroad, are 

met sustainably and for future generations.” 

In its independent report, Coalition 2030 

calls for greater focus on developing national 

policies to support the implementation of the 

SDGs, “Arguably the greatest threat to Ireland’s 

implementation of the SDGs is a pronounced 

lack of policy coherence. Greater focus has to be 

placed on the inter linkages between the 17 Goals 

which makes them so transformative. This issue is 

particularly manifest in Ireland’s poor performance in 

reducing greenhouse gas emissions and failure to stem 

the downward spiral in Ireland’s biodiversity. As part of 

the National SDGs Implementation Plan, the government, 

in consultation with the National Economic and Social 

Council, should strengthen a whole-of-government 

approach to the SDGs,” said Michael Ewing from the 

Environmental Pillar, an advocacy coalition of 29 Irish 

environmental NGOs. 



Turn the 

Power Down 

It is time for dramatic change and the public sector must take the lead in relation to energy efficiency, writes Jim Gannon, Chief 

Executive, Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland. 

The time for talking about a realistic future for sustainable 

energy is over. We are already on the pathway towards a low 

carbon economy, but the question is will we get there in time. 

Without a dramatic change in course, we will likely miss our 

2020 renewable energy target, probably getting to 13% versus a 

target of 16%. We are likely to miss our energy efficiency target 

by a similar amount. Come 2020 the penalty for not hitting 

this target could be in the order of €100m with the possibility 

of further penalties year on year after this until we reach those 

targets. That is the very real and very worrying short-term 

future. Furthermore, we will soon have sight of our 2030 targets, 

which are likely to be at least as challenging. Moreover, unlike 

the 2020 targets, the EU will measure our progress in meeting 

the 2030 targets at regular intervals rather than just at the endpoint. 

Therefore, from the outset, we will need to meet high 

levels of performance and sustain them over the duration. 

I often wonder if these targets mean anything to the vast 

majority of people in this country. For the government and 

SEAI, they are necessary drivers of policy and a barometer 

of the success of our interventions. I suspect for most people 

however, they are intangible and meaningless and this makes it 

difficult to engage people in the journey towards a cleaner and 

healthier environment. 



Public sector leadership 

Of all the groups that can influence change 

in Irish society, the Public Sector holds a 

unique position. As a group, you touch 

every part of Ireland, every day, through 

the services you provide. You also bring 

a value and cohesion that, although 

sometimes unseen, has a direct bearing not 

just on our quality of life, but on how we 

perceive Ireland to be and our ambitions 

for the Ireland of the future. As a result, 

you have the ability to lead by example 

and to influence all of our communities on 

the topic of climate change. 

One of the easiest places to show this 

leadership is in the area of sustainable 

energy. Energy is put to all manner of 

uses in the Public Sector from offices, 

hospitals, schools and fire-stations, to 

public water and lighting services, as 

well as vehicle fleets. This costs the State 

about €600 million annually, so it is critical 

that everyone who uses public services 

appreciated the scale of energy use and the 

opportunities to reduce or conserve it. 

The National Energy Efficiency Action 

Plan sets a target for the public sector to be 

33% more energy efficient by 2020. This is 

ahead of the general 20% target for rest of 

the economy, recognising that the public 

sector can serve as an exemplar from which 

others can take inspiration. Earlier this 

year, the Government also approved the 

Public Sector Energy Efficiency strategy 

as presented by Minister Denis Naughten 

TD. And, on 10 January, 350 public 

servants attended SEAI’s first Public Sector 

Conference which placed a collective focus 

on how best the public sector can achieve 

its targets and be an exemplar. 

Public sector already 

acting and saving 

Jim Gannon, Chief Executive, SEAI 

Public bodies and government departments 

have made solid progress and are already 

two thirds of the way to the 2020 target. 

Efficiency gains have been made through 

the implementation of thousands of 

diverse projects ranging from structured 

energy management, building and facility 

upgrades, changes in transportation, 

and through behavioural changes in 

organisations. As a result, the public sector 

is now saving €154 million on energy annually, avoiding over 

half a million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. This directly 

benefits the exchequer through lower expenditure, and in many 

cases facilitating higher levels of service delivery. But most 

importantly, it contributes to a cleaner 

energy future for all of us. 

There are ranges of approaches and 

solutions, which must be tailored to each 

particular organisation’s need. The focus 

is always where time and effort invested 

is likely to have the greatest return. SEAI 

has provided support and advice to a 

range of public sector bodies over the 

course of our history to support this type of 

activity. Indeed, the technical and financial 

challenges are often well understood 

and solvable, while the biggest challenge 

is often securing senior management 

commitment, while ensuring that service 

delivery does not suffer. 

For some public bodies, energy spend 

is so relatively small that it can be hard 

to justify the allocation of a specialist 

resource or even to identify a suitably 

qualified person to take on the role. This 

may not be a problem for a local authority, 

but it is certainly a challenge for, say, a small 

school. However progress is always possible 

and examples of success are increasing 

daily. In partnership with the Department 

of Education and Skills, SEAI has this year 

provided capital and project advisory support 

to 10 schools that include higher levels of 

energy performance alongside traditional 

summer works. We will be seeking to grow 

this programme over the coming years in 

collaboration with DES. SEAI and the DES 

also collaborate on a programme, Energy in 

Education, to provide energy management 

support to schools. With help from an SEAI 

advisor, Scoil Chaitríona Cailíní in Coolock, 

Dublin identified 26% electrical saving 

through storage heating management and a 

further 23% saving on gas through zoning 

control improvements. Simply heating only 

the hall during after-hours events instead of 

the whole school will save €2,500 per year in 

gas consumption. 

The most common investment 

opportunities are energy efficient lighting, 

insulation and efficient heating systems. 

Investment can be difficult to prioritise 

ahead of service delivery. Conventional 

wisdom says that investing now will pay 

for itself over time and continue to save 

thereafter. However most public bodies 

operate with annual budgets and this can 

impede projects with long implementation 

timeframes and paybacks. In spite of this, 

investments are being justified and made. Dublin Airport 

Authority completed a deep retrofit of the old Aer Lingus Head 

Office Building reducing energy consumption by 80%. Galway 

City Council is saving €40,000 annually having upgraded 400 

Conventional 

wisdom says 

that investing 

now will pay for 

itself over time 

and continue to 

save thereafter. 

However most 

public bodies 

operate with 

annual budgets 

and this can 

impede projects 

with long 

implementation 

timeframes and 

paybacks. 



There is a huge diversity of energy use in the public sector 

but in many instances the solutions can be similar and have 

probably been implemented before by other public bodies. 

streetlights to LED technology. With SEAI support, the OPW 

are investing over €3m in energy efficiency measures across 

central government buildings nationally. LED office lighting is 

one of the main investment areas, with savings of over 60%. The 

research into office LED technology and resulting specifications 

will be shared though SEAI and OPWs networking platforms to 

all public bodies, and indeed the private sector. 

Partnership and networking 

There is a huge diversity of energy use in the public sector but in 

many instances the solutions can be similar and have probably 

been implemented before by other public bodies. SEAI actively 

facilitates networking activity through regular workshops and an 

online forum for sharing experiences and learning from others. If 

you work within a public sector organisation and wish to register, 

go to http://energylink.seai.ie/. These are powerful mechanisms, 

particularly for those with limited resources. 

SEAI’s partnership programme is the most comprehensive 

support package available for larger organisations. In a nutshell, 

public bodies work together with SEAI experts to assess the 

potential within their organisation, develop and implement 

annual Energy Management Action Plans by undertaking 

specific, targeted actions focussed on achieving the 33% target. 

The 90 members make up 75% of all public sector energy 

consumption. They have committed serious resources to 

implementing structured energy management. These actions 

will typically help them achieve annual savings of 5-10%, which 

the public body can retain arising from of the publication of the 

Public Sector Energy Efficiency Strategy. 

All of us, particularly those in the public sector must play 

our part in reducing our energy use. 2020 as a deadline is fast 

approaching so I encourage all public bodies to consider how 

they can play their part in accelerating the achievement of these 

targets. For those fully committed to the journey, SEAI is here to 

assist and support your ambitions. 

For more information, visit www.seai.ie 



Helping shape Ireland’s 

Energy Future 

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is central to 

delivering a more sustainable energy future for everyone. 

Our role is to transform the way we all use energy by moving 

to more efficient and clean sources, and by leading innovation 

in Ireland’s approach to energy. Working with businesses and 

society as a whole we can all help create a more sustainable 

energy future for everyone. 

Find out how we can help 

you at seai.ie 



Our vision is to enable 

everyone to live in 

good quality, affordable 

homes in sustainable 

communities. 

The Housing Agency provides a range 

of housing-related services and manages 

some key projects: 

+ Housing Procurement Services 

+ Approved Housing Bodies 

Services Unit 

+ Lands Development and 

Management 

+ Mortgage to Rent 

+ Housing Practitioner 

Training Services 

+ Policy Advice 

+ Research and Analysis 

+ Pyrite Remediation Scheme 

+ Support to Local Authorities 

+ Regulation of Approved 

Housing Bodies 

+ National Housing Strategy for 

People with a Disability 

+ Loan Underwriting of Local 

Authority House Purchase Loans 

For more information about the 

Housing Agency’s work, please contact: 

Housing Agency, 53 Mount Street Upper, Dublin 2 

Tel 01 656 4100 | Email info@housingagency.ie 

www.housingagency.ie 


CONSTRUCTION 

2018 

LOW-COST TENDERS 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING 

CLOSING THE SKILLS GAP 

INSOLVENCIES SOCIAL HOUSING BUILDING FLOOD DEFENCES


Funding Social Housing 

Eoghan O’Neill, Senior Manager, AIB Corporate Banking pays tribute to Ireland’s voluntary housing bodies and outlines some of 

the key funding initiatives which AIB has launched in order to ramp up delivery of social housing across the country. 

L – R Catriona Bourke, Eoghan O’Neill & Allan Barrett – AIB Corporate Banking Social Housing Sector Team 

AIB Corporate Banking is actively engaged with the Irish Social 

Housing sector. We continually look for ways to support the 

delivery of housing with a key focus of helping those that have 

a funding requirement. 

My team & I have been fortunate to work with some of 

the key operators in this sector over recent years and it is 

clear that the Approved Housing Bodies have evolved into 

very professional ‘not for profit’ organisations with excellent 

management teams and staff. In meeting with the various 

Approved Housing Bodies and the advisors in the sector we 

are always impressed by their professionalism and their strong 

desire to deliver housing for those most in need. 

AIB Corporate Banking currently offer a long term loan with 

the amortisation matching the term of the main revenue source 

e.g. the term of the Payment and Availability in the general 

social housing model or the term of the Local Authority Rental 

Agreement in the recently launched Enhanced Long Term Social 

Housing Lease program. This makes for a straightforward 

transaction and gives the Approved Housing Body a schedule of 

repayments similar to those currently provided by the Housing 

Finance Agency. We will typically only look for security over the 

assets being acquired and the associated revenue streams and 

will not require any further security. We will not look to restrict 

the Housing Body’s activity once the property being funded 

is essentially protected or ‘ring fenced’ from any potential 

negative impact from other activities. 

We can also provide funding to a newly incorporated 

special purpose Approved Housing Body or a new Investment 

Company that is being established for a specific project once 

that new entity can demonstrate the property management and 

tenant management functions will be professionally delivered, 

e.g. there may be a commercial contract with the existing 

Approved Housing Body to provide certain necessary services 

to the newly established Project or Special Purpose Vehicle. In 

summary, we can work with the customer to deliver for them 

regardless of the preferred approach to a transaction. 

As part of the wider AIB Group we have also brought 

together a number of divisions within the AIB Group to provide 

a solutions to many of the challenges facing those in the sector, 

e.g. the AIB Real Estate Finance team can provide Construction 

Finance, this division recently launched a €100m Social Housing 

Development fund to assist experienced developers deliver 



We will typically only look 

for security over the assets 

being acquired and the 

associated revenue streams 

and will not require any 

further security. We will 

not look to restrict the 

Housing Body’s activity once 

the property being funded is 

essentially protected or ‘ring 

fenced’ from any potential 

negative impact from other 

activities. 

newly built stock to the larger Approved Housing Bodies 

(AHBs) in Ireland, which is a key element of the Government’s 

Rebuilding Ireland plans. 

My team and I also work closely with the AIB Corporate 

Finance Team which can provide advice on raising finance 

and investment and indeed mergers or acquisitions within the 

industry, AIB’s Treasury Team can support by providing advice 

on Ireland’s overall economic outlook in addition to providing 

solutions to interest rate volatility risk. 

The historic funding of the Irish Social Housing sector has 

been predominantly by way of government grant funding or 

in more recent years through long term loan finance from the 

Housing Finance Agency. With the recent Eurostat opinion 

delivered to the Central Statistics Office in April this year 

pointing to the ‘government body’ classification of Ireland’s 

largest Approved Housing Bodies there may be some ongoing 

consideration by the sector as to how the government and the 

Approved Housing Bodies working together with the Banks 

can resolve the Eurostat and CSO opinion and ultimately bring 

about a wider gap between the government and the key players 

in the Sector. A potential solution being considered by the 

sector is the establishment of special purpose vehicles by the 

Approved Housing Bodies in which they can acquire and fund 

assets using private and commercial Bank finance. 

Whilst there are numerous Approved Housing Bodies 

operating in Ireland, over the past decade the Irish Social Housing 

sector has now evolved into three key groups being Tier 1, Tier 

2 & Tier 3. It may be the case that the sector could avail of better 

cost efficiencies by introducing some consolidation. We are aware 

of some considerations being given by smaller Housing Bodies 

to the possibility of transferring housing and tenants to larger 

Housing Bodies to make for a more efficient operating model but 

there may, in time, be some increase in the levels of consolidation 

Eoghan O’Neill, Senior Manager, Corporate Banking AIB 

going forward. Overall, the outcome could potentially be greater 

purchasing power and greater operational efficiencies, e.g. a larger 

Housing Body will likely be able to negotiate a lower purchase 

price on housing based on volume than a Housing Body looking 

to acquire a small group of housing units, similarly outsourcing 

of property maintenance and tenant management can be 

disproportionate if the Housing Body does not have scale. 

We have worked on projects involving construction and 

refurbishment of housing and most recently I believe AIB 

Corporate Banking was one of the first funders to provide long 

term debt funding to facilitate the purchase of housing from 

the Housing Agency under its €70m revolving fund. We were 

delighted to be able to work with Túath Housing Association to 

fund the acquisition of up to 192 social homes in every County 

and District in Ireland. This transaction supported Rebuilding 

Ireland’s vacant homes initiative whereby Túath purchased 

homes from the Housing Agency and let them to families on 

Local Authority housing waiting lists. I believe that we can 

provide a commercial and very swift funding solution which 

allows the client flexibility to carry out its day to day role. 

My team is currently working on four projects ranging from 

Mortgage to Rent to a mixed Private and Social Housing scheme 

where the social housing element is the majority of the project. 

In addition, we are working with colleagues in the AIB Group 

on the Irish Social Housing PPP program. 

Overall we wish to increase our involvement in the sector 

and we welcome all opportunities to help the Approved 

Housing Bodies and Investors in the sector to deliver on their 

key growth objectives. 

For more information contact 

Eoghan O’Neill, Sector Head, Social Housing, 

AIB Corporate Banking; eoghan.t.o’neill@aib.ie 



New Horizons for 

Circle VHA 

From humble beginnings Circle Voluntary Housing has been a stalwart in the provision of housing. Circle VHA is a Tier 3 Housing 

Association, and, across its Housing Management and Estate Management services, presently manages more than 1,700 homes. 

At the centre of Circle is its tenants. A building is just 

property, but a home is so much more. This belief of 

Circle staff is exhibited in the award presented by The 

Chartered Institute of Housing aptly titled “More Than 

Bricks and Mortar” which Circle VHA was presented 

with in February 2018. 

Circle staff strive continuously to ensure its 

tenants and future tenants currently on local authority 

housing lists are provided with high quality housing 

that will be homes to them, in communities that they 

can settle and become immersed in. The development 

of communities is integral in ensuring that people 

feel involved in where they live and that their needs 

are reflected in their environment. The staff of Circle 

are innovative in their approach from development 

stage right through to ongoing tenancy participation 

programmes actively encouraging a community focus. 

Measurable benefits for tenants and a community 

as a whole ensures possibilities in overcoming social 

problems., The staff of Circle VHA believe in the core 

values of the organisation which leads to respectful 

and transparent partnerships that have benefited all. 

Since its foundation 15 years ago, Circle Voluntary 

Housing Association (VHA) has accommodated 

people in need of homes in the Greater Dublin Area. 

Circle VHA delivers exceptional customer service to all 

stakeholders, and its tenant satisfaction ratings have 

been consistently more than 90% for the last ten years. 

Circle currently operates in the Dublin and Kildare 

areas and intends on expanding its operational 

housing provision beyond these areas. Circle staff are 

actively seeking to make further strategic partnerships 

and advance initiatives with all local authorities and 

housing providers, through portfolio acquisition, turnkey 

development from housing providers, sites with direct 

development potential, new and unfinished homes disposals, 

Part V strategic partnerships with housing providers, and 

strategic partnerships with Tier 1 and 2 Approved Housing 

Bodies (AHBs). In addition, the organisation is seeking 

strategic partnerships with housing providers under the 

Enhanced Long-Term Social Housing Leasing initiative. 

Circle uniquely offers an Estate Management Service 

to not only local authorities and developers but to Owner 

Management Companies (OMC’s). Circle VHA is a licensed 

property services provider with the PSRA (License number 

002408) and will act as a management agent. Circle VHA 

has in-house expertise in providing management agent 

services including company secretary, property and facilities 

management, service charge collection, insurance management 

and owner/resident liaison. 

Circle in the last 6 months has, under the direction of 

its new CEO, John Hannigan who has been involved in the 

housing sector for many years, committed to extending their 

unique brand across more counties of Ireland. In order to 

support the delivery of the Rebuilding Ireland Programme, 

Circle intends to deliver an additional 1,100 homes by the end 

of 2020. The attention to detail that Circle exhibits will ensure 

that all projects undertaken can benefit from its people first 

approach. 



Circle VHA delivers 

exceptional customer 

service to all stakeholders, 

and its tenant satisfaction 

ratings have been 

consistently more than 

90% for the last ten years. 

John with the support of an innovative and progressive 

Board has been instrumental in taking the steps required by 

Circle in order to actively position themselves to fully support 

fully the delivery of the Rebuilding Ireland Programme. 

Pat Costello as the Head of Development supported by his 

colleagues in the Senior Management Team has instigated a 

programme of recruitment in order to expand the department 

to achieve the growth envisioned. The Team assembled are a 

multi-disciplinary team of housing and property professionals, 

who have many years’ experience in the delivery of social 

housing and other commercial developments through various 

mechanisms and funding streams. The team will assist with 

the delivery of an additional 1,100 homes by the end of 2020. 

They are focused on the values of the organisation with a clear 

vision, a dynamic attitude and an agenda firmly focused on 

addressing the housing crisis within all counties by turning 

opportunity into homes for the people of Ireland. 

For more information visit www.circlevha.ie; email developmentteam@ 

circlevha.ie or you can speak to one of the team at 01-4072110. Follow 

us on twitter @CircleVHA. 

CIRCLE VHA DEVELOPMENT TEAM 

Pat Costelloe, Head of Development, has a 25-year career in 

construction and property. He previously worked as Group Property 

Manager for the Rehab Group and as Development Manager, and a 

Director with NewGrove Housing Association Ltd. He has extensive 

project development, acquisition and leasing experience, along with 

portfolio management experience. A chartered surveyor by profession 

he is a member of the SCSI and RICS. 

Colm Lundy, Senior Team Lead, has over 25 years’ experience in 

the Irish real estate market. He has a proven track record of delivery 

in the development sector having previously led the entry of German 

retail multiple Lidl’s expansion into Ireland overseeing a €750m 

capital spend in the process. A chartered surveyor by profession he’s a 

member of the SCSI and RICS. 

John Mulhall, Senior Officer, has over six years’ experience in 

the delivery of social housing. He has previously worked for Oaklee 

Housing and brings a wide range of knowledge on the acquisition 

and construction of developments using the Capital Advance Leasing 

Facility, Capital Assistance Scheme and Long Term Leasing. 

Caitríona Slane, Officer, holds an MSc in Planning and Property 

Development and previously worked in Western Australia in the 

planning and surveying sector. Prior to joining the Circle VHA team 

in August 2017, she worked with Clanmil Housing in Belfast as 

Development Officer. 

David Linehan, Officer, has a background in estate agency/ 

auctioneering, having worked as a senior sales/letting negotiator for a 

number of years within Dublin and countrywide. David has extensive 

knowledge of the Dublin and North Kildare property market; he was 

previously employed by O’Dwyer English Auctioneers, and holds IPAV 

membership with a full PSRA license. 

Eva Moraliyska, Team Intern, has diverse real estate and project 

management experience, gained in Bulgaria. Previously she managed 

her own real estate company for nine years and worked in large-scale 

real estate development and project management for three years. 



Making a difference by 

providing quality homes 

for people in housing need. 

Block B, The Waterways Ashtown. 

Circle VHA’s mission is to deliver quality homes and services in partnership with our 

tenants and local services to create sustainable communities. Circle VHA has approved 

status from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and is a member 

of the Irish Council for Social Housing. Circle VHA is regulated under the Property SRA. 

Circle Voluntary Housing Association, 32-34 Castle Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 407 2110 info@circlevha.ie 


circlevha.ie


Fighting Homelessness 

A government report on homelessness which revealed that a that a significant number of people had turned down offers of 

social housing in 2017 has been criticised by charities representing the homeless. 

According to the report prepared by the Dublin Regional 

Homeless Executive (DRHE) 112 offers of permanent social 

housing were turned down in 2017. 

One of the reasons cited most frequently for refusing the 

offer of a house was that it wasn’t close to schools or located in a 

satisfactory area. 

The DRHE report also found that 343 families were 

“reluctant” to consider being accommodated under the Housing 

Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme and ended up in hotels or 

B&Bs due to difficulties getting accommodation in the private 

rental sector. 

Under the HAP scheme, households source their own 

accommodation in the private sector and receive financial 

assistance to meet the rent. However, in March of this year 

just 12 families out of 750 exited homelessness through HAP, a 

figure which it described as “extremely low”. 

Overall the number of homeless families rose by 17% last 

year and there are currently some 10,000 homeless people in 

Ireland. 

However, the report confirms that the rate of increase of 

families accessing emergency accommodation slowed last year 

when compared to previous years. The number of families 

accessing emergency accommodation across the State rose by 

90% and 55% in 2015 and 2016 respectively but by last year the 

rate of increase had slowed to 17%. 

The situation also appears to be stabilising in Dublin where 

the homelessness crisis has been most pronounced. The number 

of families accessing emergency accommodation in Dublin rose 

by 106% and 51% in 2015 and 2016 respectively but by last year, 

the rate of increase had slowed to 9%;. 

With the introduction of family hubs, families are also 

spending less time in emergency accommodation before 

exiting into tenancies. Of the families who entered emergency 

accommodation in 2016, 45% of these have successfully exited 

emergency accommodation within six months. 

In addition, the number of people sleeping rough has fallen 

by 40% . 

At present the number of homeless people residing in 

state-funded emergency accommodation (commonly referred to 

as the homeless figures) is published monthly by the Housing 

Department. 

The DRHE report recommends that this should be changed 

to quarterly reporting, a position which is supported by the 

Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy. 

As a reason, it states that trends in people presenting would 

be more visible; there would be a change for greater analysis; 

and a more “concerted focus” could be put on patterns in 

homelessness 

Meanwhile, a separate report from the Homelessness 

Inter-Agency Group - which was established following the 

first Housing Summit in September of 2017, to better coordinate 

state-led supports to those currently in emergency 

accommodation - queries whether it is appropriate to continue 

to provide emergency accommodation to households who are 

unwilling to consider HAP. 

Homeless charity Focus Ireland said both reports 

contained some elements which were welcome but criticised 

proposals to stop monthly reporting of homeless figures as “a 

communications strategy for bad news”. 

Director of advocacy Mike Allen also said that one of the 

reports “seeks to lay the blame for homelessness on the people 

who experience it”. 

“Both these Government reports propose punishing 

people who don’t take up HAP. Neither looks at what could 

be done to improve it! Both contain some useful things but 

the punitive proposals undermine them. Attack homelessness 

not homeless people.” 

He also criticised the recommendation to publish homeless 

figures on quarterly rather than a monthly basis. “Most research 

reports include a recommendation for ‘more data and more 

research’, this must be the first to make the strange claim that 

‘greater analysis of trends’ would be facilitated by having less 

data published less frequently,” he said. 

Minister Eoghan Murphy says the report, and another from 

the Inter-Agency Group on Homelessness indicates progress is 

being made, but “concerns and issues” need to be addressed. 

“Of course the value of this report is that it also highlights some 

concerns and issues that need to be addressed so that we can 

provide the right supports and interventions to those who need 

them, he said. 

“Clearly, new actions will be needed to make sure that 

we can find sustainable and successful exits from emergency 

accommodation for families, individuals, those with long-term 

support needs, and those whose status in Ireland is uncertain.” 



Housing First 

Kerry Brennan, Cork Simon’s Head of Housing talks to Conor Haugh about ‘Housing First’, an approach to homelessness which 

provides a more comprehensive, holistic – and ultimately more successful approach to its clients. 

Cork Simon Community was founded in 1971 to support and enable 

people experiencing homelessness, and to alleviate the stigma, 

stresses, and exclusions that homelessness entails. The charity does 

this through organising emergency shelter accommodation, outreach 

services, housing and housing support, volunteer programs, and a 

range of other specialist support services. 

Kerry Brennan, Cork Simon’s Head of Housing, has been 

with the charity since 2000. In recent years she has seen the 

twin challenges of rising homelessness and housing shortages 

emerging. She has also seen the full effect of an innovative 

“Housing First” philosophy that has been adopted by Cork 

Simon since 2013. 

Cork Simon, like all Simon Communities, was founded by 

volunteers, and volunteerism remains an integral part of its 

operating model. “We have many part-time volunteers who 

help operate our services and raise funds,” says Brennan. “The 

charity also recruits twenty-two full-time volunteers annually 

from all over the world, including Europe, New Zealand, Asia, 

Africa, and North America.” 

Brennan herself arrived from America as a volunteer in 

2000 and spent the next decade working with Cork Simon’s 

emergency shelter and outreach programs, before eventually 

taking charge of their housing program. 

The Shift to Housing First 

“We’ve seen an interesting change in North America and 

Europe over the last two decades regarding policies towards 

homelessness,” Brennan divulges. “We’ve moved from the 

traditional ‘staircase’ approach to a ‘Housing First’ model. 

The staircase system required a homeless person to meet 

certain conditions before becoming eligible for placement in 

housing. These could include prolonged engagement in certain 

services and an exhibition that the applicant was fairly stable or 

‘housing-ready’. 

“ The expectation was that people move from street-based 

services to shelter-beds, and that accompanying issues like poor 

mental health or addiction be somewhat resolved. Only then 

might an applicant be offered a transitional apartment. If that 

went well, they could eventually be offered a rental apartment 

of their own”, continues Brennan. 

Few people ever progressed that far. “What seems obvious 



Sam Tsemberis 

now, in hindsight,” Brennan says, “is 

that the most difficult place in the world 

to get sober, or stable, or address mental 

health issues is out on the street or in an 

emergency shelter.” 

Research conducted in New York 

in the 1990s was to offer an alternative 

approach. Clinical psychologist Dr Sam 

Tsemberis posited that targeting the most 

vulnerable, longer-term, and “unstable” 

homeless for rehousing would yield 

more successful results. He and his team conducted a four-year 

long, randomized, controlled trial comparing the Housing First 

model (then known as Pathways to Housing) to the staircase 

model that prevailed in America at the time. The results were 

categoric, with Housing First proving a more successful and 

cost-effective approach over the entire duration of the study. 

Further research by Randall Kuhn and Dennis Culhane 

of the University of Pennsylvania showed that although the 

chronically homeless made up only 10 percent of the total 

homeless in New York and Philadelphia, they accounted 

for 50 percent of occupied shelter beds. “This study was the 

catalyst for Housing First going from a niche project in New 

York to being national policy,” Brennan says. “Its results have 

been replicated several times across the world and we’ve 

looked at our own figures at Cork Simon and come to similar 

conclusions.” 

“The logical thing to do, then, is prioritise this group who 

have traditionally been thought of as not housing-ready. For 

someone dealing with substance abuse issues or erratic mental 

health, a secure, stable, and dignified place to live is a vital base 

from which they can begin to address those issues. If you can 

house the most vulnerable, long-term homeless people in this 

way, you free up a disproportionate amount of resources.” 

Housing First was officially adopted by Cork Simon in 2013, 

the same year as the Irish government released a statement 

affirming the approach as national policy. 

Under the Housing First model, clients are offered support 

“The council 

is trying to be 

proactive but, 

unfortunately, the 

increases in market 

rental prices are 

fast outpacing the 

supports in place. 

The private rental 

market is just 

not an accessible 

route out of 

homelessness in 

Ireland at the 

moment,” Brennan 

says. 

Kerry Brennan 

to sustain their housing and improve their 

health and well-being, at a frequency and 

intensity largely determined by them. Cork 

Simon assigns a key worker to each case 

to liaise with landlords and other service 

workers. “That way a certain housing 

situation doesn’t work out, the supportive 

relationship is not lost ,” says Brennan 

If someone chooses not to engage in 

support services but continues to meet the 

conditions of the lease, the lease is not lost.” 

Housing Shortages and Rising 

Homelessness 

The new policy has not been executed without challenges. The 

primary issue has been the nationwide housing shortage. “It’s 

frustrating,” Brennan confesses, “to know that the method 

works and that our team has the necessary skills, but that 

because of the wider housing crisis we can implement it for far 

fewer people than we would like.” 

For someone experiencing long-term homelessness, 

transitioning to housing can be challenging for many reasons. 

The stigma attached to homelessness, a lack of landlord 

references, and a lack of experience in renting norms are all 

obstacles that are exacerbated by a competitive landlords’ 

market. Prospective renters without these issues are often 

considered more appealing candidates for the limited number 

of properties. 

As well as creating more competition, the housing shortage 

also means rising rent prices. Cork City Council, which 

administers the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), provides 

rental supplements to those in need, but only on properties 

rented to a maximum of €550 per month. They allow for a 20 

percent increase on that upper limit for those experiencing 

homelessness, bringing the figure to €660. 

However, according to property website Daft.ie’s 2018 

first quarter report, average rental price for a one-bedroom 



apartment in Cork City now stand at €913 per month. “The 

council is trying to be proactive but, unfortunately, the increases 

in market rental prices are fast outpacing the supports in place. 

The private rental market is just not an accessible route out of 

homelessness in Ireland at the moment,” Brennan says. 

A second route out of homelessness is through government 

social housing initiatives. “The building of Social Housing 

has slowed down over the last decade or so,” Brennan shares. 

According to the Department of Housing, Planning, and Local 

Government, the nine years between 2000 and 2008 saw 11,126 

completions of social housing units by Cork City Council. The 

following nine years saw just 2,481 completions, a 78 percent drop. 

“Almost everyone in our emergency shelter is on the 

waiting list for social housing but they can be on there for years; 

up to a decade in some cases,” says Brennan. 

This makes housing found with assistance from charities 

like Cork Simon Community the most realistic escape from 

homelessness for many people. 

The shortage of housing is coupled with an increase in 

homelessness in the southwest. 

In Cork, in June 2016, 215 adults were in emergency 

accommodation. By June 2018, that number had risen to 317. 

In the wider southwest, over the same period, the increase 

was from 329 adults to 685. In just the last year, the number of 

families in emergency accommodation in the southwest has 

increased from fifty-four to ninety-three, a figure currently 

including 257 children. 

Positive Steps 

There have been positive developments too. At the end of 2015, 

Cork City council provided much-needed resources to expand 

the Housing First service. This allowed Cork Simon to employ 

two more case managers in addition to the previous five, and 

meant that service could be extended to a further 30 cases. 

Cork Simon has created 109 tenancies since adopting the 

Housing First approach in 2013, either directly or by brokering 

through other Approved Housing Bodies, Cork City Council, 

or private rentals. 12 tenancies have been negotiated through 

an innovative approach whereby Cork Simon rents from 

private landlords with the understanding that the property 

will be sub-let to those leaving emergency accommodation. 

In these cases Cork Simon takes ultimate responsibility for 

timely rent payments and maintenance of the property. This 

strategy assuages many of the concerns that private landlords 

have about renting to tenants leaving homelessness. Of the 

101 people housed since 2013, 88 of them have not returned to 

emergency homeless services. 

In 2015, Sam Tsemberis himself was invited by Cork Simon to 

observe their operations, provide input to their strategies, and train 

staff members. “He affirmed that we were working consistently 

with the Housing First approach and made recommendations that 

we have since implemented,” Brennan recalls 

The Future 

“In the short-term, the focus will be on securing homes for 

the project. The big worry is that we’ve seen an increase in 

the users of emergency accommodation due to increasing 

homelessness,” continues Brennan. “There’s a risk that, if things 

don’t turn around, people might say that the Housing First 

policy doesn’t work. That’s frustrating, because we know that, 

when the housing is there, it does. Our medium-term goal must 

be securing and leveraging housing to ensure that there’s an 

adequate amount available to those who need it.” 

“At the moment, elements of the old staircase model are 

still employed,” says Brennan. “We still have our emergency 

shelters, outreach centres, and high support housing, but our 

goal is to develop our Housing First approach and reduce our 

use of other models. A stable home is a basic human need. 

Housing First is the future.” 



Cork Simon Community 

believing in people since 1971 

Working to a Housing First approach since 2013. 

www.corksimon.ie 



Age Friendly Housing 

Government supports new housing solutions for older people with €15 million funding for prototype project in Inchicore 

The Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Damien 

English, recently announced funding of €15 million for a 

‘Housing with Support’ scheme for older people in Inchicore 

in Dublin. This announcement was made by the Minister at the 

launch of the report and evaluation of Phase 1 of this pathfinder 

project; one of only two projects singled out in Rebuilding Ireland 

focused on meeting older people’s housing with support needs. 

Phase 1 covers the stage from the initial concept to the 

awarding of the development of this housing project to Circle 

Voluntary Housing Association and ALONE Housing. The 

overall aim of the Inchicore project is to develop a new model 

of housing for older people where the key components of 

the physical environment and supports are provided onsite, 

integrated into the community and designed with older people 

at the centre. 

Speaking at the launch, Minister English said: “Part of the 

St. Michael’s Estate site in Inchicore has been identified as a 

“Housing with Support” pilot model under Rebuilding Ireland 



At the launch of the evaluation report and toolkit: (L-R) Michael Carey, Chair Housing Agency, Minister Damien English, TD, Celine Reilly, Dublin 

City Council and David Silke, Housing Agency. 

and will deliver 52 homes, due for completion in 2020. The 

‘Housing with Support’ model is intended to set a new standard 

for the future of housing provision for older people and to 

act as an exemplar for others to follow. The project has been 

approved for funding of €14,934,528 under my Department’s 

Capital Assistance Scheme, with a contribution of €450,000 from 

the HSE/Department of Health towards additional communal 

facilities for the residents.” 

This new model of housing with care requires collaborative, 

cross-sectoral and cross-departmental working and requires 

housing, social and care supports to come together within a 

single scheme. An innovative funding model has been agreed 

for the scheme, with higher specification homes of 1.5-unit size 

funded by the Department of Housing, multi-annual funding 

for care funded by the HSE/the Department of Health and 

joint funding of extra communal facilities. The project seeks 

to explore how such schemes can provide efficiencies in the 

delivery of home care supports within a defined location, thus 

providing economies of scale. Through the process of capturing 

the learning at each phase of the project and developing a 

toolkit, it is hoped that this model could be replicated. 

This is a collaborative partnership between Dublin City 

Council, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local 

Government, the HSE, the Department of Health, the Irish 

Council for Social Housing and Dublin Age Friendly City. Circle 

Voluntary Housing Association and ALONE Housing have been 

appointed to develop and manage the housing. 

The Housing Agency was delighted to be involved in this 

pathfinder project. On behalf of Dublin City Council and the 

‘Housing with Support’ Steering Group, the Housing Agency 

commissioned 

and managed the 

research evaluation 

and developed 

the toolkit for this 

phase. The Housing 

Agency sees the 

inclusion of an 

evaluation process 

as critical to the 

development of 

this project, whilst 

also ensuring that 

the accumulated 

learning can be shared. 

The Housing Agency’s vision is to enable everyone to live 

in good quality, affordable homes in sustainable communities. 

In Ireland, as more people live longer lives, ensuring the 

continued quality of life for our older population will involve 

consideration of key housing principles to ensure a mixture of 

different types of homes are designed to be readily adaptable, 

that these homes are located in ‘Age Friendly’ environments 

and that they provide choice and options for people to continue 

to live independently for as long as possible. 

To download a copy of the full evaluation report, summary or toolkit, go 

to: www.housingagency.ie or www.dublincity.ie. To talk to somebody 

about the research, contact Roslyn Molloy at the Housing Agency: 

roslyn.molloy@housingagency.ie 





New Homes 

for 67 Families 

Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local 

Government, Damien English officially opened Clúid Housing’s latest 

development in Ashbourne, Co. Meath 

Minister Damien English and Brian O’Gorman, Chief Executive, Clúid Housing. 

67 families have received keys to their brand new homes in 

Milltown Meadows, Ashbourne, Co. Meath. They had been 

waiting seven years on average on the social housing waiting 

list. The Minister of State at the Department of Housing, 

Planning and Local Government, Damien English, T.D. 

welcomed the new residents, which include seven Syrian 

families. 

After only 15 months in construction, Clúid Housing, in 

partnership with Glenveagh Properties and Meath County 

Council, has delivered a brand new estate which brings much 

needed affordable housing to the area. The surrounding area is 

predominantly privately owned residential housing. Little or 

no social housing has been built in Ashbourne for over 15 years. 

This has left significant demand for good quality affordable 

housing. There are currently 3,779 households on Meath County 

Council’s housing waiting list. 

Speaking ahead of the launch, Minister English said: “The 

provision of high-quality housing supports to help individuals 

and families meet their housing need across all tenures is one 

of the key objectives of Rebuilding Ireland An Action Plan for 

Housing and Homelessness. The delivery of these much needed 

homes in Milltown Meadows, Ashbourne is a tangible example 

of the importance of partnerships between Approved Housing 

Bodies, such as Clúid Housing Association, the local authority, in 

this case Meath County Council, and a developer in getting homes 

built; furthermore, the delivery of these homes demonstrates this 

Government’s commitment to that objective. Developments such as 

Milltown Meadows will anchor strong communities, a performing 

economy and an environment of quality.” 

Milltown Meadows is a mix of two, 

three and four bed houses, with a very 

high spec finish, energy efficient heating 

and an A-rated BER. The location is 

excellent and gives easy access to the city 

as well as a range of local services. 

Clúid’s New Business Director Fiona Cormican said: 

“Currently Clúid has 236 homes in Co. Meath. We have a 

further 100 homes in the development pipeline to be delivered 

in 2018 and 2019 and we are continually looking for new 

opportunities to develop further in the county and beyond. We 

want to partner with developers and local authorities to deliver 

2,500 units nationwide over three years.” 

Justin Bickle, Co-Founder and CEO of Glenveagh Properties 

PLC said that the company was honoured to have partnered 

with Clúid on this development: “Our involvement with this 

project began through our predecessor business Bridgedale 

which became part of Glenveagh at our IPO. We are delighted 

to have partnered with Clúid in Ashbourne and hope that all 

the families who have taken up residence in this development 

will enjoy many wonderful years here. Projects such as this can 

play an important role in delivering more housing and we look 

forward to further co-operation with Clúid in the future.” 

Clúid funded the scheme using a government loan of 24% 

of the total purchase price to leverage a larger bank loan from 

the Housing Finance Agency. Clúid will repay those loans using 

the rent paid by tenants (which is always affordable) and an 

availability payment from the Department of Housing, Planning 

and Local Government. 

Clúid Housing is the largest housing association in Ireland, delivering over 

6,500 high quality, affordable homes to people in housing need all over 

Ireland. Housing associations are independent, not-for-profit charities. 



Oaklee Housing 

Established in 2000, Oaklee Housing provides of customer-focused housing and support services and has played an important 

role in helping to tackle homelessness and disadvantaged citizens 



Oaklee Housing is one of Ireland’s most 

ambitious approved housing bodies, 

providing high quality accommodation 

and customer-focused property services. 

Established in 2000, we have rapidly 

grown our presence across the country 

delivering high quality modern homes 

for families, older people, mature singles 

and people with a range of disabilities. 

Oaklee Housing is part of the Choice 

Group which includes Northern Ireland’s 

largest housing association, Choice 

Housing Ireland Ltd. Its key focus is on 

delivering more homes, better services 

and stronger, inclusive communities. 

The last year has seen increased 

pressure on the housing sector across 

Ireland with the demand for new social 

and affordable homes exceeding supply, 

according to Oonagh Todd, corporate 

services officer, Oaklee Housing 

“We recognise the important role 

that Oaklee Housing must undertake 

to relieve housing pressures and 

homelessness through delivering more 

housing efficiently to meet a variety of 

housing need,” she says. 

“Recognising that the housing crisis 

in Ireland cannot be tackled by just one 

organisation, Oaklee Housing are working 

hard to strengthen our relationships 

with voluntary and statutory agencies to 

maximise our efforts.” 

For further information contact Oaklee Housing: 

132 James Street, Dublin D08 PK25 Tel: 01 - 400 

2650 or log onto www .oaklee.ie 



Raise the Barriers 

A sophisticated flood forecasting system is a key element of the new 10-year €1 billion flood risk management plan which is 

funding 118 flood relief schemes to tackle the calamitous effects of recent flooding. 

The first €257m tranche of a new 10-year €1 billion flood risk 

management plan which will fund 50 new flood relief schemes 

was launched in Athlone recently by Minister of State for the 

Office of Public Works, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran 

The plan was developed following a review of 300 floodprone 

sites as part of the OPS’s Catchment Flood Risk Assessment 

and Management Programme (CFRAM) study, which began in 

2012. Mapping carried out in some of the areas worst affected by 

the floods in the last decade revealed 34,500 properties at risk of 

flooding and 50 new schemes will now proceed immediately to 

design stage in order to alleviate the threat. 

Detailed engineering analysis, assessment and extensive 

public consultation was undertaken for the 300 communities 

identified as being most likely to be impacted by future 

flooding(including 90 coastal areas). The CFRAM Programme 

studied 80% of properties at risk from the primary cause 

of flooding in areas that house almost two thirds of our 

population. While the Programme assessed flood risk in all our 

large urban areas, approximately one quarter of communities 

assessed had populations of less than 500 people and half had 

less than 2,000 people 

A number of schemes have been prioritised including a 

€31 million project to help protect 768 houses in Tralee and a 

further €8.5m to secure 221 homes in Ballinasloe, Co Galway. 

In addition, €56m has been earmarked for the design and 

construction of a scheme in Limerick city where 890 houses are 

affected while a €40m investment has been committed to the 

Dundalk/Blackrock South scheme, where 1,737 houses have 

been deemed to be at risk. 

The new schemes in addition to ongoing projects will 

protect most of the properties deemed to be at risk of flooding, 

according to Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran 

“Progressing these initial 50 new flood relief schemes, 

together with those 75 schemes already complete and underway, 



Minister Moran said he was prepared to meet and work with local authorities on flood prevention 

measures and he specifically mentioned areas such as Portumna and Carrick on Shannon 

Minister of State for the Office of Public 

Works, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran 

will protect 80% of the 34,500 properties assessed at having a 1% 

chance of experiencing a significant flood event in any year,” the 

Minister said. 

“The Flood Risk Management Plans allow the Government 

to build on significant investment on flood defence schemes, 

since 1995, which has delivered 42 major flood relief schemes 

around the country. These schemes successfully provide 

protection to 9,500 properties and the economic benefit to the 

State in damage and losses avoided are estimated at €1.9 billion. 

There are currently also 9 major schemes under construction 

and a further 24 at design/development which together will 

provide protection to a further 12,000 properties. 

This investment has also supported completion of 500 

localised flood relief schemes by local authorities under the 

Minor Works Scheme protecting 6,500 properties. Two-thirds 

of these are protecting properties outside of the CFRAM study 

areas. The Minor Works Scheme will continue to ensure that 

local flood problems continue to be identified and resolved, 

in tandem with addressing the flood risk in large urban 

areas. I can give my assurance that sufficient funding will be 

available within the 10 year capital envelope to meet all eligible 

applications from local authorities to progress with viable minor 

flood works”. 

The Minister confirmed that €14m made will be made 

immediately available to 19 local authorities to lead on delivery 

of 31 of these schemes. The 50 schemes which are due to go to 

the design stage immediately, includes five major schemes, each 

costing more than €15 million, 14 schemes each between €1 and 

€15 million and 31 schemes across 19 local authority areas each 

costing less than €1 million. 

Acknowledging that not all areas that may have had 

flooding problems have been selected for schemes, Minister 

Moran said he was prepared to meet and work with local 

authorities on flood prevention measures and he specifically 

mentioned areas such as Portumna and Carrick on Shannon. 

In relation to concerns that hundreds of propertyowners 

may find themselves in areas that are now effectively 

designated as at risk of flooding for the first time in places such 

as Dundalk, Mr Moran said he was due to meet with insurance 

companies shortly and also intended to hold discussions about 

areas where insurance cover is still not available, despite the fact 

that 42 major schemes have already been completed. 

“We are working closely with the insurance companies and 

we have a memorandum of understanding. Where we do have 

flood walls we have now up to 80 per cent of insurance covering 

those people,” he said. 

The plan has been broadly welcomed by groups supporting 

communities at risk of flooding who have warned that difficulty 

re-insuring is hindering economic development in affected 

towns such as Fermoy, Clonakilty, Clonmel and Skibbereen. 

Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar who attended the launch of the 

Flood Risk Management Plan in Athlone paid tribute to the 

OPW, local authorities, communities and all those organisations 

who worked together to develop the 10-year strategy. He said 

that the national flood forecasting service will help guide the 

national response to flood events which he said can have a 

severe impact on affected communities and also result in huge 

economic costs. 

“Flooding can have a devastating impact on families, 

communities and businesses. If your home or business is badly 

damaged or destroyed by flooding, the emotional and financial 

impact is immense. It also has a huge cost to the economy,” he stated. 

“Not so long ago these were rare events which we talked about 

for decades afterwards but they are becoming more frequent. It 

is now commonplace to hear about a once-in-a-century event. It 

seems to happen almost every couple of months.” 

Flooding is currently estimated to cost the economy almost 

€200 million a year and experts warn that we could be facing 

an annual bill of €1,000 million a year, if we do not take the 

appropriate protective measures. 

A new website, www.floodinfo.ie has also been launched 

where people can view the community risk and measures in place, 

underway and now proposed to tackle flood risk in these 300 

areas, and nationally. This map and plan viewer website is another 

important resource, to support planning, emergency response 



Safety First 

Setting the Standard - Health and Safety in the Public Sector 

Pictured at the launch of I.S. ISO 45001, a major new global health and safety standard for organisations, are (L-R) Health & Safety 

Manager, Collen Construction, Joe O’Dwyer ;NSAI Senior Auditor, Maria McKeown; NSAI Head of Business Excellence, Fergal O’Byrne; 

Collen Construction Director, David Lee; and Quality & Environmental Manager, Collen Construction, Rebecca Reilly 

Health and safety in the workplace is the number one concern 

of most employers, yet despite increased awareness and 

advancements in legislation, injuries and deaths still occur. 

Recent figures from the Health and Safety Authority show that 

501 people died in workplace accidents in Ireland since 2008, 

14 of which occurred in the public administration and defence 

sector. Last year alone, there were 47 fatal accidents across all 

sectors. 

The main legislation providing for the health and safety 

of people in the workplace are the Safety, Health and Welfare 

at Work Acts 2005 and 2010, which cover the rights and 

obligations of both employers and employees and provide for 

substantial fines and penalties for breaches. Employers are 

required, among other things, to provide and maintain a safe 

workplace which uses safe equipment and prevent risks from 

exposure to physical agents, noise and vibration. On the other 

hand, employees are expected to take reasonable care to protect 

the health and safety of themselves and of other people in the 

workplace and not to engage in improper behaviour that will 

endanger themselves or others. 

While the number of workplace-related injuries and 

deaths in Ireland has fallen over the past two decades, from 

3.9 to 2.5 per 100,000 workers, it’s clear that more can be done. 

The National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is part 

of a global effort to help improve the situation. Last month, 

the agency published a major new global health and safety 

standard for organisations, which sets the minimum standard of 

practice to protect employees worldwide. The standard is based 

on the labour standards, conventions, and guidelines of the 

International Labour Organisation, the existing OHSAS 18001 

document, and national standards. 

Known as I.S. ISO 45001, the new standard is the first one 

to cover occupational health and safety management systems 

and gives organisations a single set of requirements to increase 

safety, reduce workplace risks and enhance health and wellbeing 

at work. 

“This much-anticipated standard was developed over 

several months with the input of experts from more than 70 

countries,” said NSAI Chief Executive, Geraldine Larkin, “I.S. 

ISO 45001 is set to transform workplace practices globally 

and I am extremely proud that NSAI is able to offer it to Irish 

organisations from day one.” 

“Contrary to popular belief, ISO management systems 

standards offer the same benefits to the public sector as they 



do to the private sector; they can be used 

by any organisation, including service 

providers such as hospitals, banks or 

universities. By bringing a methodical and 

harmonised approach, complex concepts 

such as quality management are defined in 

a way that is easy to grasp and implement. 

But more than this, standards have proven 

potential to save money through more 

efficient use of resources and, in the case of 

I.S. ISO 45001, even save lives.” 

More than fifty Irish companies, 

including a Dublin-headquartered 

construction firm and a Limerick 

consultancy service, will be among the first 

organisations in the world to adopt the 

new standard over the coming weeks. 

“Globally, more than 2.78 million 

fatal accidents occur at work yearly, with 

some 374 million incidents of non-fatal 

work-related injuries and illnesses,” said 

NSAI’s Head of Business Excellence, 

Fergal O’Byrne., “Tthis paints a sober 

picture of the modern workplace – one 

where workers can suffer serious consequences as a result of 

simply doing their job. The beauty of I.S. ISO 45001 is that it’s 

applicable to all organisations, regardless of size, industry or 

nature of business. I would encourage Irish organisations to find 

out more from NSAI.” 

Among the first companies in the world to achieve 

certification to I.S. ISO 45001 will be Collen Construction. The 

family-owned company was established in 1810, and provides 

commercial, residential, industrial, design and building services 

across multiple sectors. Collen Construction maintains that 

I.S. ISO 45001 certification will help position it for further 

expansion. 

“Collen Construction is well-placed for growth, and we 

want to ensure our systems both in Ireland and Europe are 

best in class. As safety is an integral part of the company’s 

daily operations, we recognise the importance of continuous 

improvement,” said Collen Construction Managing Director, 

Tommy Drumm., “Tthe implementation of the new I.S. ISO 

45001 aligns with our objective to ensure our systems are worldclass 

and accreditation to the first international safety standard 

would recognise Collen as leaders in achieving an international 

benchmark.” 

Collen’s Commercial Director, Donal Hennessy said the 

negative financial consequences of failing to manage health 

& safety correctly would be too great for a company like 

theirs:, “Risk management is an essential aspect of running 

any business. In construction, safety poses the most significant 

financial exposure for companies operating in the industry. 

A construction site is a high-risk environment every day and 

no-one working in construction should ever forget that. It’s the 

reason why there are safety policies and procedures to identify 

hazards specific to the task with the aim of either eliminating 

or mitigating them. Failing to lead safety so that the risk it 

poses to our businesses is minimised, will ultimately have 

serious financial consequences through an increasing number 

of injuries, giving rise to an increasing number of claims, which 

lead to increased insurance premiums and accident statistics 

that affect future work-winning.” 

I.S. ISO 45001 is designed to be integrated into an 

organisation’s existing management processes and follows the 

same high-level structure as other ISO management system 

standards, such as ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 

14001 (environmental management), which are used by more 

than 3,000 companies in Ireland today, including many local 

authorities. 

Developed under the ISO system, I.S. ISO 45001 provides an 

international framework that takes into account the interaction 

between an organization and its business environment. Key 

potential benefits from use of the standard include a reduction 

of workplace incidents, reduced absenteeism and staff 

turnover, reduced cost of insurance premiums, the creation of 

a health and safety culture, reinforced leadership commitment 

to proactively improve Occupational Health and Safety 

performance, enhanced reputation and improved staff morale. 

Standards began with the obvious things like weights and 

measures, and over the last 50 years have developed into a 

family which covers everything from shoes and stairs, to the 

Wi-Fi networks that connect us. Addressing all these and more, 

international standards mean that employees can have greater 

confidence that the best possible systems are in place to ensure 

their safety and wellbeing while they work. With certification 

to I.S. ISO 45001, there’s no reason why that confidence can’t 

extend tothe public sector organisations themselves 

NSAI’s Business Excellence team is available to answer any queries relating 

to Management Systems Certifications. For more information, visit www. 

nsai.ie/management-systems. For more information about standards and 

how they’re made, visit https://www.nsai.ie/Standards.aspx. 



Improve your BER 

Improve you BER rating and save on energy bills and increase the value of your home 

For almost ten years BER ratings have been required for any 

existing buildings presented for sale or rent, regardless of the 

age of the building. 

BER is a valuation that measures the energy efficiency 

of commercial and residential buildings in Ireland and is 

represented by a scale of A to G, where A1 is the most energy 

efficient rating and G is the least. A difference of just a few 

grades on a BER can have a significant impact on a home’s 

heating bill. 

If you are selling or renting a property, you are legally 

obliged to provide a valid BER to prospective buyers and 

tenants. This also applies to property advertisements which 

must display the property’s BER. Equally, if you are buying or 

renting a property, the seller or landlord is required to provide 

you with a valid rating. The higher the home’s rating the less 

money it will cost to heat. 

Even if you aren’t looking to sell or rent, achieving a lower 

BER will reduce your energy bills and make an appreciable 

difference to disposable income. A difference of just a few 

grades in your BER can have a substantial impact on your home 

heating bill, so it is important to know how energy efficient your 

home is. 

Most houses built before 1994 will have a D1 rating or lower, 

unless they have been upgraded. However, upgrading can save 

you thousands of euro in heating bills over 10 years. 

A BER is valid for 10 years as long as no significant 

structural changes are made to the property that might affect 

the rating. A provisional BER can be made on the basis of a 

property’s plans but this is only valid for 2 years. 

The BER assessment must be carried out by a certified 

assessor. There’s no fixed cost for an assessment, so be sure to 

get a number of different quotes before you hire a BER assessor. 

The colourful BER indicator is typically displayed alongside 

property descriptions and it provides a simple, colour coded 



IMPROVE YOUR BER 

Insulation: Increase insulation in walls, attic and floors and top up 

existing insulation 

Windows: Replace or Seal Old Windows Single-glazed windows 

tend to loose a lot of heat. Inmany cases, draught stripping will 

improve this but secondary glazing or complete wind replace 

can return highest overall savings. Double glazing would reduce 

heat loss through the windows by 1/3rd and low emissivity triple 

glazing would reduce heat loss by over 2/3rds. 

Low Energy Lighting: Use energy efficient light bulbs (CFLs). Not 

only do they last up to 15 times longer than ordinary bulbs, CFLs 

use 80% less electricity. Remember turn off lights when they are 

not required. 

rating from A to G.. Higher ratings are coloured green, medium 

ratings yellow and low ratings red. 

A BER considers all aspects of your home and its energy 

efficiency, including walls, dimensions of the floor and roof, 

window and door size, insulation and your heating system as 

well as the energy used for heat, light, pumps and fans. It does 

not include energy used for items such as washing machines, 

dishwashers, cookers and fridges. 

Most houses built after 2006 should have a C1 or higher 

rating in line with building standards. 

Houses built before 2006 can apply for the SEAI Better 

Energy Homes scheme. The SEAI Better Energy Homes scheme 

provides homeowners with grants to improve the energy 

efficiency of their home, which can be used to invest in energy 

efficiency improvements including: wall insulation, Installation 

of high efficiency boilers, upgraded heating controls and 

installation of solar panels 

Controlled Ventilation System: Whilst ventilation is necessary, 

excessive ventilation can result in energy wastage. Controlled 

vents should be installed in every room. Cooker hoods and small 

extract fans should be installed to allow for controlled removal of 

moist air from kitchens and bathrooms. Draught proofing may be 

applied to doors and windows. 

Heating Systems: A 93% efficient boiler will save about €600 

a year in fuel. If you have a boiler with an efficiency of 80% or 

under it is worth considering replacing it with one of the modern 

condensing boilers which have efficiencies of up to 97%. This will 

improve the BER considerably. 

Modern Heating Controls: Improving the heating control system 

can reduce the BER quite significantly. There are a variety of 

possibilities depending on the type of heating system present, e.g. 

for boiler systems the ideal is to have time & temperature control. 

Get a Lagging Jacket: A thick lagging jacket for your hot water 

cylinder will keep your water warm for longer, improve your BER 

and save you money. 



great people 

great projects 

Planning | Engineering | Environment 

Communications | Project Management 

rpsgroup.com/ireland 



Green is the City 

The 2018 Public Sector Environment Award goes to the EU Commission in recognition of the success of the European Green 

Capital Award which is presented to cities which have excelled in sustainable urban living. 

The European Commission has won the 2018 Public Sector 

Magazine Award for its European Green Capital Award 

initiative. It was presented in Dublin to the Director General 

of DG Environment, Daniel Calleja Crespo by the Minister for 

Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy TD. 

DG Calleja was accompanied by RPS Director, PJ Rudden 

and RPS Project Manager, Louise Connolly, who are part 

of the EU Commission Secretariat for the European Green 

Capital Award (EGCA). The Secretariat is responsible for the 

technical, environmental and communications management 

of the awards. The Award was made to the EU Commission 

for its 10 years in initiating and growing the success of the 

European Green Capital Award. This is an annual award 

set up by the EU Commission in 2008 for a city that excels 

in sustainable urban living, has ambitious future goals and 

is capable of acting as a role model for other cities. RPS has 

been secretariat for 8 of the last 11 years. 

The European Green Capital Award (EGCA) is open 

to cities with a population over 100,000. Due to its success 

a similar competition, the European Green Leaf Award 

(EGLA), was created in 2015 for cities with populations of 

20,000 and up to 100,000 inhabitants. 

Since 2008 there have been 11 EGCA winning cities – 

Stockholm, Sweden (2010); Hamburg, Germany (2011); Vitoria 

Gasteiz, Spain (2012); Nantes, France (2013); Copenhagen, 

Denmark (2014); Bristol, UK (2015); Ljubljana, Slovenia (2016); 

Essen, Germany (2017); Nijmegen, Netherlands (2018), Oslo, 

Norway (2019) and Lisbon, Portugal (2020). 

To date there have been seven winners of the European 

Green Leaf drawn from six Member States. The cities of 

Mollet del Vallès, Spain and Torres Vedras, Portugal were 

awarded the European Green Leaf Award in 2015, Galway, 

Ireland, in 2017, Leuven, Belgium and Växjö, Sweden, in 2018 

and Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain and Horst aan de Maas, The 

Netherlands, in 2019. 

Cities are initially technically assessed by an international 

panel of experts on 12 environmental indicators for the 

EGCA and six topic areas for the EGLA. Shortlisted cities 

then present to an international Jury chaired by the European 

Commission with members drawn from representative 

bodies including the Committee of the Regions, Covenant of 

Mayors, European Environment Agency and ICLEI – Local 

Governments for Sustainability. 

This annual competition among cities has grown to be a 

very significant environmental initiative across the Member 

States from north to south and from east to west, according to 

the Director General of DG Environment, Daniel Calleja Crespo. 

“Each city has its own unique character and 

environmental problems to address but by sharing these 

issues and solutions that learning is transferred from city 

Pictured at the award presentation in Dublin Castle: PJ Rudden RPS 

Director, Minister Eoghan Murphy TD, Daniel Calleja Crespo Director 

General DG Environment, and Louise Connolly RPS Project Manager. 

The image was provided courtesy Paul Holmes Photography. 

to city. Examples of issues addressed include the need to 

adapt to future climate change, to better manage our water 

resources and transform waste management into circular 

economy solutions,” he said. 

“This Award celebrates the many cities who have entered 

the competition, have been shortlisted and who have won 

– all of whom are determined to exchange ideas, learn more 

sustainable practices, to inspire others and to collaborate in 

the future as a network of European cities. 

To date, some 86 cities have entered the awards drawn 

from 26 Member States which indicates a high level of 

engagement over the past 11 years. We will continue to 

build on this enthusiasm of cities to be leaders of urban 

sustainability and to inspire other cities.” 

The European Green Capital 2020 award winner was 

announced at the Awards Ceremony in June 2018 from a 

shortlist of three cities – Ghent (Belgium), Lahti (Finland) 

and Lisbon (Portugal) with Lisbon being designated the 

2020 EGCA winner. The winners of the European Green Leaf 

Award 2019 are Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain and Horst aan 

de Maas, The Netherlands. 

WINNING CITIES 

2010: Stockholm 

2011: Hamburg 

2012: Vitoria Gasteiz 

2013: Nantes 

2014: Copenhagen 

2015: Bristol 

2016: Ljubljana 

2017: Essen 

2018: Nijmegen 

2019: Oslo 

2020: Lisbon 



Preserving our heritage to last a lifetime 

Merging tradition & conservation technology for superior results 

Consultation, design & specification 

Remedial surveys 

Condensation & mould solutions 

Dry & Wet rot eradication 

Rising damp solutions 

Timber treatments 

Rotec Vortex stone & brick cleaning 

Lime pointing & rendering 

Breathable interior insulation 

Waterproof tanking systems 

Radon gas control 

Fintan@ffcs.ie / 087 - 1192740 

Laura@ffcs.ie / 085 - 1496297 


www.ffcs.ie


Preserving our Past 

Fintan Farrell Conservation Services, or FFCS, is one of Ireland leading conservation solutions companies. Based in Dublin and 

Wexford, the company offers a nationwide service and in addition to the technical team which comprises the proprietor Fintan 

Farrell and his daughter Laura, FFCS also employs 12 skilled operatives. Fintan talks about the problems they typically encounter 

when restoring older buildings. 

FFCS have been working in the field of conservation & 

waterproofing for over thirty years and the company is 

passionate about our built heritage and bringing buildings up to 

current standards while maintaining their historical background. 

The company provides its services to all construction 

professionals nationwide as well as private clients and through 

the years it has acquired an impressive reputation for its 

expertise and professionalism. “We pride ourselves on excellent 

workmanship. We foster an open communication system with 

all our clients and are delighted to share our experience and 

knowledge freely,” says Fintan. 

“We recently worked on Wexford Courthouse where we 

rejuvenated the original red brick façade. This involved brick 

cleaning using the Rotec Vortex method. This method of 

cleaning potentially prolongs the longevity of the brick by 70-90 

years. We also raked out the old defective pointing and replaced 

it with a lime-based mortar. This ensures the brick can breathe 

while allowing vapour to enter and exit the fabric freely. 

When a building can’t breathe properly, issues such as damp 

staining to walls, mould growth, musty odours and even dry rot 

can be found internally. 

Dealing with excess moisture in a building is time sensitive 

in order to stave off larger problems. The warmer Summer 

months see an increase in dry rot, which can be quite destructive. 

Dry rot will grow through plaster and masonry to find its next 

damp source. Dry rot will germinate and spread in a damp 

environment where the moisture content has risen to 20%-40%, 

where ventilation is poor and where sustained heat is present. 

Luckily there are remedial options available to keep 

all damp issues at bay while ensuring the least amount of 

disruption to the building. 

Buildings which are pre-1900 now have an array of options 

to help them meet our modern living needs. Up until about 

10 years ago, insulating a Victorian property came with many 

headaches. With advances in conservation technology, we can 

now implement fully breathable dry lining systems to these 

properties, allowing them to increase their living comfort as 

well as having a positive impression on our carbon footprint. 

We recently worked with Jamie Heaslip and Sheena O’Buachalla 

to renovate their home and ensure they will be reaping the 

benefits for years to come. 

Ireland has a wonderful built heritage which can contribute 

to our 21 st century needs. We get great pleasure from knowing 

we are helping these buildings last for generations to come. 

As well as ensuring our built heritage is damp proof, we 

also provide services to new builds to ensure they are protected 

from future damp and ground gases. Waterproof tanking and 

radon gas prevention is an integral part of our business. We are 

proud to be certified contractors for all the major waterproofing 

manufacturers. 

“We are currently involved gas proofing a new residential 

development in Naas. Gas proofing came into the building 

regulations in 1994. Ireland has soil rich in radon. This is not 

a problem in the open air but can pose a threat within closed 

environments such as a house. Ensuring best practice with gas 

prevention contributed to better health. 

“We have recently been involved in waterproofing the new 

DIT student accommodation on Church Street and the new IMC 

cinema in Kilkenny. The Stella Theatre is another iconic building 

which has benefited from conservation technology. Last year 

we were involved in the rejuvenation of this piece of history, 

ensuring it is waterproofed for generations to come.” 



Top Contractors 

The combined turnover of Ireland’s top construction firms has increased by €720million on last year according to the 

Construction Industry Federation’s (CIF) annual Top 50 Contractors listing for 2018. 

The annual listing which was published in the CIF Magazine 

gives a snapshot of the overall growth in Irish construction as 

it delivers many largescale projects throughout Ireland and 

the world, attracting foreign direct investment to Ireland and 

exporting over €1.6bn in construction expertise. 

According to Construction Magazine’s figures the Top 50 

Irish Contractors reported a combined turnover of €6.72billion 

over the last 12 months, with €5.1billion of this activity taking 

place in Ireland and a €1.62billion resulting from exported 

construction services. 

Ireland’s Top 50 Contractors list was revealed at a recent 

industry event in Dublin where industry leaders gathered to 

celebrate a successful year of increased business despite the 

challenges that remain for the sector. 

Tom Parlon, Director General, CIF said that Irish main and 

specialist contractors are critical to Ireland’s competitiveness. 

“The largest corporations in the world locate in Ireland for 

many reasons. But, if our main and specialist contractors were 

not world-class they would never establish a footprint here. 

Ireland is working because this sector is working,” he said. 

“Without the success of Irish construction, we would not 

have had the ability to attract tech savvy and forward-thinking 

multinationals like Linkedin, Google, Facebook, Eli Lilly to 

name but a few, and this is now recognised by the IDA and the 

wider Government apparatus. 

“The construction industry is changing, we are innovating 

and leading the way in how we implement new and improved 

technology, how we attract and retain workers and how we 

work together more generally. We have emerged from the 

depths of the recession leaner, more modern, sustainable, 

adaptable and resilient. But there are significant improvements, 

that still need to be made in order to preserve and support our 

sector’s recovery into the future. 

“We must enable more companies to grow and become 

world-leaders. To do this, we need the Government to set out 

an export-led growth strategy for this important sector. We also 

need to fix our procurement system here at home and ensure 

the right supports are in place to help build companies of scale. 

Finally, we must also work to attract workers back into the 

industry and make the process of moving home from abroad 

and gaining work in the sector more streamlined.” 

Minister of State at the Department of Finance and Public 

Expenditure and Reform, Patrick O’Donovan who spoke at 

the event praised the industry for “yet another progressive 

year” for the construction sector. “The increase in turnover and 

employment levels across the various sectors is most welcome 

from Government’s perspective,” he said. “It reflects an 

economy that has shown an average of 4.4% growth in the years 

2013 – 2017 with unemployment figures down from 16% in 2012 

to just below 6% in April of this year.” 

Minister O’Donovan said the increase in export activity 

demonstrates growing diversity that will stand the sector in 

good stead in more challenging economic times while the 

Government’s commitment to advancing digital technologies in 

the delivery of the National Development Plan will also further 

expand the sector’s export potential. 

“There is evidence too that the recovery in the sector is 

spreading beyond the urban centres where the ‘green shoots’ 

were first seen in 2013. Recent analysis also highlights a 

welcome increase in residential construction activity whilst 

growth in other areas remains strong. 

“Our workforce is internationally renowned for its skills, 

professionalism and innovation which has contributed to 

sustained investment, even during the toughest years of the 

recession. In this regard, the construction sector has played a 

key role in the recovery both in the construction of vital public 

and social infrastructure but also attracting inward investment 

by recording extremely positive outcomes amongst the sectors’ 

large, multinational client bodies. 

Confidence levels in the Irish economy are undoubtedly 

high but it would be remiss not to mention the challenges; 

housing, Brexit and the current uncertainty in global trade 

arrangements have the potential to impact further growth. 

Skills shortages and the persistently low margins that 

are evident in 

certain sectors are 

challenges that 

are particular to 

the construction 

industry. Skills 

shortages allied 

with the uncertain 

global trade 

situation are 

likely to increase 

inflationary 

pressure in the 

short to medium 

term whereas 

low margins 

are impacting 

relationships 

and payments 

in the extensive 

construction supply 

chain. Government 

is committed to 

working with 

industry to manage 

these challenges.” 

TOP 10 CIF 

CONTRACTORS 2018 

1. John Sisk & Son (Holdings) Limited: 

€950,000,000 

2. Mercury Engineering €600,000,000 

3. BAM Civil Ltd €470,000,000 

4. John Paul Construction Lt. €360,000,000 

5. Jones Engineering: €350,000,000 

6. Bennett Construction Ltd: €325,000,000 

7. JJ Rhatigan & Company: €245,000,000 

8. Dornan Engineering Ltd: €218,000,000 

9. Roadbridge: €213,000,000 

10. Winthrop: €208,000,000 



‘The World’s First Health And Safety 

Management Standard is Here’ 

When properly implemented, I.S. ISO 45001 can help reduce 

workplace incidents and enhance staff morale. 

Find out more about implementing I.S. ISO 45001 

in your organisation at www.nsai.ie/certification 

Contact NSAI Tel 01 807 3800 

Email info@nsai.ie | Follow @NSAI_Standards 

NSAI - 1 Swift Square, Northwood, Santry, Dublin 9 D09 A0E4 | T +353 1 807 3800 | E info@nsai.ie | @NSAI_Standards 

the Public Sector Magazine 113 

NSAI and the NSAI Logo are registered trademarks of NSAI


Demand outstrips 

Supply 

Demand for surveying professionals is expected to outstrip supply by over 2,000 over the next four years but shortfall could be 

twice that number 

“If we are to produce more graduates we will 

need more property and construction courses 

and hence we will require more investment in 

third level education. 

Despite an increase in the number of students enrolling in property 

and construction courses in recent years, a new report predicts 

that graduate output will be insufficient to meet future demand 

and that Ireland is set to experience a shortage of over 2,000 

construction and property surveyors over the next four years. 

The report, Employment Opportunities and Future Skills 

Requirements for Surveying Professions 2018 – 2021 predicts 

that 3,739 additional surveying positions will be created over 

that period. 

However, the number of students graduating from property 

and construction related degree programmes over the same 

period will only number 1,577, a shortfall of 2,162. 

The projection is based on economic growth of 3% per annum. 

If the economy grows by 4% per annum the shortfall will double 

to 4,000 up to 2021. The European Commission has forecast GDP 

growth of 5.7% for Ireland this year and 4.1% for 2019. 

The author of the report, Dr Róisín Murphy from Dublin 

Institute of Technology, says the situation is so serious that the 

lack of supply of suitably qualified surveying professionals is 

now the primary constraint to employment growth. 

“Over the last four years there has been a notable increase in 

employment across every surveying profession, which in many 

instances has exceeded the estimates in our 2014 to 2018 report. 

The projected demand for surveyors between 2018-2021 spans 

every level of experience, from graduate to senior surveyor, 

and as positions are filled at higher levels it will undoubtedly 

generate further opportunities for graduates. However, while 

there has been an increase in enrolment on third level surveying 

programmes in the last number of years, the increased supply of 

graduates has continued to be outstripped by demand.” 



Information technology is transforming the way surveyors work be 

it through 3D modelling, augmented and virtual reality or Building 

Information Modelling. However, under-investment in IT by the 

industry over the past decade may have left the sector lacking in 

expertise in this area 

“As a result, the shortage of suitably qualified surveyors is 

likely to continue to put upward pressure on wage levels and 

ultimately on building costs. The other main constraints on 

growth cited by respondents were clients’ access to finance, the 

cost of finance, taxation and Brexit” 

“Our findings show that the key drivers of employment are 

consumer sentiment and indigenous private sector investment. 

The domestic economy is likely to provide the impetus for 

employment growth across the surveying professions and based 

on our projections, graduate output will fill less than half of 

the posts being created. The situation is particularly acute in 

the property surveying sector which includes estate agency, 

valuations, asset management and property management. The 

shortfall here is predicted to be 1,110 in the next four years” Dr 

Murphy said. 

Data for the report, which was commissioned by the Society 

of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, was collected from SCSI 

member practices via an online survey, interviews with industry 

stakeholders and enrolment data from third level institutions. 

The SCSI’s Director of Education James Lonergan described 

the findings as alarming and said they underlined the urgent 

need for a dramatic increase in the number of Chartered 

Surveyors to build, sell and manage the new homes, offices, 

health, transport and education facilities the country so badly 

needs following years of under-investment. 

“If we are to produce more graduates we will need more 

property and construction courses and hence we will require 

more investment in third level education. For example at the 

moment only one third level institution provides an SCSI 

accredited Building Surveying Programme. We also need to 

promote the profession more, to facilitate collaboration between 

“The shortage of suitably 

qualified surveyors is likely 

to continue to put upward 

pressure on wage levels and 

ultimately on building costs.” 

the industry, the SCSI and the education sector while also 

encouraging experienced surveyors to return to Ireland.” 

“Information technology is transforming the way surveyors 

work be it through 3D modelling, augmented and virtual reality 

or Building Information Modelling. However, some respondents 

pointed out that under-investment in IT by the industry over 

the past decade may have left the sector lacking in expertise 

in this area and the acquisition of IT skills must be a top 

priority for the profession as should the provision of advanced 

surveying qualifications more generally.” 

“The report also found that there is growing awareness 

within the profession of a need for greater diversity in the 

workforce and that the benefits of gender, age and cultural 

diversity are not being fully realised.” 

“Of course, there are positives here for anyone considering 

a career in surveying and we would urge any students who are 

interested in property or construction to consider a career in a 

sector which can offer high levels of mobility, job satisfaction 

and career advancement as well as international opportunities. 

In that regard it is worth noting that the final date for CAO 

change of mind applications is July 1st” he concluded. 



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oaklee.ie 

Working 

together 

for positive 

change 



Low-Cost Tendering 

Lowest-cost tendering has dogged the construction industry in recent times. Martin Lang, Director, Main Contracting, CIF 

explains why this practice needs to change. 

deficit or flaw in the 

information, there 

must be latitude to 

recover that change 

to risk. 

What Needs 

to Happen? 

Lowest-cost tendering is a much talked about problem within 

our industry. However, it is merely a symptom of the broader 

problem that is the current system of public procurement. It 

is becoming clear that the industry needs to get to a level of 

sustainable procurement. 

We have seen a concerning number of high profile 

contractor collapses and examinerships in recent months. Many 

of these have in some way fallen foul of what turned out to be 

unsustainable procurement. To paraphrase TS Elliot, I think ‘the 

beginning is your end’ as far as procurement is concerned. What 

I mean by ‘sustainable procurement’ is the upstream decisions 

that are made when a client – like the Public Sector – decides to 

execute a project and the bottom falls in. If the client brief is not 

clear, that is the start of the issue, and this is something that we 

have seen across the industry for a considerable period of time. 

Current Public Procurement 

Under the current public procurement rules, the process 

favours the lowest price rather than the best price. Therefore, if 

the initial brief is unclear, problems are inevitable as the design 

team works from that brief. It then goes out to tender with 

documentation that has not been adequately prepared. 

Contractors are brought in to tender for a particular project, 

knowing full well that in the event that they win the contract 

based on lowest price, not best price, once they sign the 

contract, there is no road back to review the original design, to 

point out deficits or request background information, etc. Once 

our members sign that contract, they take on all of that risk. 

The original intent of the PWC in 2006/2007 was to have 

a fixed-sum contract, but that was based on fully-developed 

tender documents. Our members never have a problem with 

fixed remuneration or fixed-price contracts. So, if there is a 

We submitted 

our mediumterm 

strategy 

to the Office of 

Government 

Procurement in 

2015/ 2016, and 

that is a substantial 

submission. We’re 

making progress, 

but the speed of progress is insufficient to address the deep 

flaws in the current process. 

Originally, the contractor was also responsible for taking 

the quantum risk, but we got that changed last year. One of the 

serious risks in the Public Sector contracts remains, ‘inflation 

risk’ and that of background information. The risk should lie 

with the person in the best position to manage such a risk. The 

contractor is not in a position to manage, in a balanced way, the 

risk condensed from the beginning due to poor tender documents 

and lowest price criteria – which is a race to the bottom. 

Sustainable Tendering Practices 

There has to be an intelligent approach at the beginning, before 

tender documents are developed. There are procurement 

methods that address these issues, we see these working in the 

private sector. 

We are trying to amend Public Sector contracts to make 

them more fair and balanced. We accept that contractors take 

risks, that’s their business, but those risks must be balanced and 

based on firm information. 

The reason that we have these simplistic, lowest-price 

tendering awards is that some public procurers take great 

comfort in making the assessment and issuing the award 

believing that the lowest price is not challengeable. 

Quality, life-cycle project costs and value-for-money criteria 

must be at the heart of any sustainable procurement process, which 

inevitably results in more sustainable tendering practices for client, 

contractor and design teams. Although this approach requires 

more effort, it is essentially best practice and results in better 

outcomes and less adversarial and more collaborative approaches. 



THE CEMENT 

YOU TRUST 

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for over 80 years 

ü Trusted by generations 

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ü Made with local 

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expertise and 

customer support 

CEMENT ACCOUNTS FOR JUST 

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Cementing the Future 

Irish Cement - 80 years from 1938 to 2018 

Life in Ireland has changed dramatically over the past eighty 

years. In 1938 the Irish population was less than three million. 

Just half the population was connected to the electricity network, 

and less than one in ten households had radio licenses. Cars 

were still a rare sight on the roads, with bicycles instead the 

more common form of transport, back then a new bicycle cost 

£5! The year1938 was significant for the fledgling Irish state, with 

Ireland’s first president, Douglas Hyde inaugurated in June and 

the 20,000 seat Cusack Stand opened in Croke Park in August. 

It was also a significant year for Irish Cement as on 23rd May 

1938, Sean Lemass, then Minister for Industry and Commerce, 

officially opened the cement factories in Drogheda and Limerick. 

These openings were the culmination of a concerted effort 

to develop an indigenous cement industry. In 1933 the Cement 

Act was established, which provided the legal framework for 

the formation of a cement industry in Ireland. In 1934, the State 

approved the first cement licence and in May 1936, Cement 

Limited was registered as a Limited Liability Company and 

the two cement factories were established in Limerick and 

Drogheda in 1938. 

Cement Limited and Roadstone Limited merged in 1970 to 

form CRH plc. In December 1978, the name ‘Cement Limited’ 

was changed to ‘Irish Cement Limited’ to reflect the long history 

of indigenous cement manufacture at the two factories and to 

more appropriately brand the Company and its products as 

being 100% Irish. 

Irish Cement today has a skilled workforce, operating two 

modern energy-efficient cement factories in Platin and Limerick 

which manufacture high quality cement for the construction sector 

both in Ireland and in export markets. The company continues 

to modernise and adapt both factories to reflect best practice and 

technology to meet customer demand for high quality products 

and ensure the long-term sustainability of the operations. 

The importance placed by Irish Cement on continuous 

improvement over eighty years has resulted in products of 

the highest quality and consistency. Irish Cement products, 

long regarded as the benchmark for quality in Ireland, are also 

considered market leaders in high profile UK and mainland 

European construction markets. Dedicated, expert technical 

support to customers and the broader industry has been a 

feature of Irish Cement’s service since the early days of the 

company. As construction techniques evolve and technical 

requirements become increasingly sophisticated, this expert 

technical support is more important than ever. 

The development of our modern way of life in Ireland is 

closely linked to the improvements in housing, transport and 

infrastructure, where cement and concrete continue to play 

a vital role. Irish Cement rightly remains proud of this close 

association over the past eighty years with the development 

of our modern Irish economy; not many products can claim 

to have formed the foundation of our nation! Generations 

of construction workers have relied on the tried and trusted 

performance of Irish Cement products. 

Now eighty years on, Irish Cement is well positioned to 

continue providing the construction market with high quality 

cement and technical support as Ireland builds its future. 



The Sky’s the Limit 

In the near twenty years since its establishment, Tipperary-based Skyline Scaffolding Ltd has earned a reputation for providing 

professional service, experienced staff, and cutting edge scaffolding technology, with an emphasis on safety, to its clients. 

Established by Kevin Smith and Roisin Mellett in 1999, Skyline 

originally catered for all manner of clientele, from housing 

developments to industrial contracts. 

In a sector heavily-hit by the recession, Skyline Scaffolding 

Ltd, under the measured guidance its co-founders and directors, 

was one relatively small company that managed to weather the 

storm. In fact, they are now set to thrive in a recovering market, 

recently constructing the largest free-standing scaffolding 

structure in Ireland using the world-renowned Layher 

scaffolding system. 

One way that Skyline has differentiated themselves from 

the competition is by shifting their focus away from housing 

developments and towards industrial projects. Kevin recalls 

how winning a contract for a chemical company opened his 

eyes to “the opportunities and challenges that were there”, and 

convinced him and Roisin to specialise in the industrial sector. 

Skyline today caters for food, chemical, public sector, and 

pharmaceutical clients, and counts Glanbia, PM Group, MSL 

Motor Group, Semiton, Radley Engineering Group, Merck, the 

Office of Public Works, Imtech, Johnson Controls, and Jacobs 

among its list of satisfied customers. 

One major challenge in the sector today is a shortage of 

qualified employees, with many skilled tradesmen wary to 

return to an industry that had been so heavily hit during 

recession times, and younger generations drawn to different 

industries. “Focus has shifted to academia rather than practical 

skills”, Kevin divulges. “Luckily, because we’re doing different 

and innovative stuff, we’d have lads looking to work for us. 

When you’re doing industrial scaffolding you can be asked to 

do very intricate and very unique stuff. It engages people’s’ 

minds, they want that challenge”. 

One of their most impressive recent projects was a striking 

42x25x20 metre structure in Waterford, which claimed the title 

of Ireland’s largest free-standing scaffolding structure, and 

was constructed using the famous Layher system. The recordholding 

structure was designed at the behest of SPX Flow, and 

would be used for the prefabrication of an enormous dryer. The 

nature of the project required some innovative thinking. The 

structure had to be weatherproof to facilitate the assembly of the 

dryer. The enormous scale of the structure was to accommodate 

the finished dryer as well as a crane that was to be placed 

inside. Furthermore, it was necessary for a rolling roof to be 

installed, so that the finished dryer could be crane-lifted out of 

the construct and positioned nearby. 

The experienced Skyline Scaffolding team erected the 

structure using Layher’s scaffolding system and informed 

by world-class, Layer-led, specialist training. They opted for 

a Kader rolling roof to manage the rolling roof requirement, 



which was then shrink-wrapped to ensure 

that it was weatherproof. 

This accomplishment is even more 

impressive when one considers that most 

of the Skyline team were only introduced 

to the Layher system in January of this 

year, and that construction was completed 

in April. 

German-based Layher is the world’s 

leading system scaffold designer, a 

title established over seventy years 

of innovation, quality, reliability, and 

responsibility in Europe and across the 

globe. Kevin remembers attending a 

Layher Open Day in September 2017. “A 

colleague told me about the event, and 

highly recommended that I go to it. We 

went over and we liked what we saw. We 

needed a system, so why not go for the 

best?” Kevin says, adding that “the Layher 

system is considered the Rolls Royce of 

scaffolding systems.” 

At Layher, quality, technical support, 

and safety are high priorities. They were a 

natural fit for a company like Skyline. The 

company’s commitment to safety can be 

seen reflected in the multiple independent 

safety certifications that it has received, 

including the EN 29001, DIN ISO 9001, 

CEN HD GAP 1000, and TUV CERT, as 

well as in its full involvement in the NASC 

working party. This could only have been 

accomplished by prioritising safety at 

every stage of operation, from design and 

manufacture, to training and support, to 

storage and implementation. 

Skyline Scaffolding Ltd, too, have 

made a point of investing in safety. 

All staff have Safe Pass, CSCS, Manual 

Handling, Use of Harness and Lanyard 

as well as Working at Height certification, 

and are continually appraised of the safety 

standards that are expected. Regular 

safety audits are carried out on all sites by 

an independent Health & Safety expert. Frequent tool box talks 

are held on health and safety issues. All equipment is regularly 

inspected to ensure that it meets or exceeds the required safety 

standards in line with HSA Code of Practice for Access and 

Working Scaffolds. 

In response to this level of commitment, the company 

received the Safe-T Cert, an accrediting programme designed to 

certify the Safety Management Systems of construction industry 

contractors, in 2013. In 2014 and 2015 Skyline’s consistent 

dedication to safety was rewarded with a “B” grade Safe-T 

Cert. In 2016 Tom Parlon, Director General of the Construction 

Industry Federation, officially recognised Skyline’s continuous 

improvement and exemplary practice by presenting them with 

a coveted “A” grade Safety Cert. Skyline Scaffolding Ltd are 

also recipients of the NISO Safety Award. 

“The Layher system is considered the 

Rolls Royce of scaffolding systems.” 

It was apparent early on that the two companies would be a 

good fit. 

Although the Layher system was new to the Skyline 

Scaffolding Ltd team, “the workers could adapt to, understand, 

and implement it very quickly”, Kevin notes. “Of course they 

got great training from Layher, and to be able to start with 

workers who had never used it and to then build what we built 

in four months, that speaks volumes for the system itself”. 

The appreciation goes both ways. John Carolan, Managing 

Director of Layher Ireland applauds Skyline for “making the 

Layher system their own” and using its potential to tackle a 

unique and challenging project. “Kevin and the Skyline team 

showed phenomenal innovation and really showed that they 

could think outside the box”, he continues. “Their experience, 

expertise, and creativity really came to the fore”. 



Evolving, growing, improving all the time… 

IRELAND IS CHANGING 

…and so are we 

2017 saw PRINCIPAL CONSTRUCTION complete a 

number of high-profile exciting fit outs, new-builds and 

refurbishment projects in the residential, commercial, 

educational, pharmaceutical and hospitality sectors. 

www.principalconstruction.ie 

Work With Us 

Principal Construction’s four basic principles 

of consistency, reliability, dedication and 

cooperation have built a solid reputation for 

excellence since 1999. 2017 brought more 

industry awards, most notably, as ‘outright 

winners’ in the Specialist Construction category 

for Public Service Contractors. 

The award recognised Principal Construction as a 

leading company for its “continued demonstration 

of outstanding service, continuity, track record and 

general excellence in business to the Public Sector, 

Irish companies, and to the people of Ireland.” 


Principal Construction continues 

to seek new opportunities, 

expanding their client-base and 

increasing their presence in the 

commercial fit out sector. 

42 Arran Street East, Smithfield, Dublin 7 

P +353 (0)1 828 0860 

M +353 (0)87 290 0838 

E info@principalconstruction.ie


The Heat Under Our Feet 

The Geothermal Association of Ireland was established to promote the use and development of geothermal energy in Ireland. 

An environmentally friendly, renewable resource with vast potential, geothermal is thermal energy generated and stored in the 

Earth, which could play a vital role in helping Ireland in meeting its future energy needs. 

The Geothermal Association of Ireland 

(GAI) was formed in January 1998 to 

promote the development of geothermal 

resources in Ireland. 

In addition to promoting the use of 

geothermal energy, the principal mandate 

of GAI is to improve the understanding 

of the nature production and uses of 

geothermal energy and to also promote 

best practice in the geothermal industry in 

order to maintain the public acceptance of 

the technology. 

Geothermal energy in Ireland is 

dominated by the use of low temperature 

resources for space heating, hot water 

and cooling applications. Figures from 

2016 show ground source heat pump 

installations account for a total of 191 MW installed capacity 

with installations of up to 2MW. 

The future developments of geothermal resources play a 

key role in contributing to the required increase in the use of 

renewable heating technologies to meet the National Renewable 

Energy Action Plan, fulfil the objectives set out in the Energy 

White Paper and the future Ireland planning framework 

(Ireland 2040 Our Plan). EU and SFI funded research projects 

are investigating the use of deep geothermal resources to 

address high heat demand. 

Work of the GAI 

GAI provides a valuable service to its members and to the 

general public in providing and disseminating information 

on geothermal energy resources in Ireland. Members of the 

association have supported the completion of geothermal 

collector suitability maps and a homeowner manual by the 

Geological Survey of Ireland. The collector suitability maps 

demonstrate how suited the Irish subsurface is at delivering 

renewable heat using geothermal heat pumps. 

GAI is also focussed on promoting the efficiency and the 

importance of the quality of installation of systems through 

our biannual conference and the Installation of the Year awards 

competition for both residential and commercial systems 

where wards to installers of systems are given following an 

independent adjudication process. 

The geothermal energy sector in Ireland and its representation at 

national consultation level is a key objective of our association. Over 

the past few years the GAI has represented its members in public 

consultation processes including the Renewable Heat Incentive, 

the Contractors Code of Practice and Standards and Specification 

Guidelines for the Better Energy Programmes (SEAI) and through 

our membership of the European Geothermal Energy Council to the 

public consultation process for the Clean Energy Package that will 

shape the renewables landscape of Europe to 2030. 

A number of initiatives to stimulate a sustainable future 

development of the shallow geothermal energy sector, 

aimed at tackling barriers to the future development of the 

geothermal sector are being implemented. Technical guideline 

documentation has been developed to provide standards for 

system installation and increasing public awareness amongst 

users and decision makers about geothermal heat pump 

collectors. Comprehensive training initiatives and certification 

for industry stakeholders and GAI members involved in design 

and installation of systems are being finalised in conjunctions 

with similar EU training and certification programmes. 

Benefits of Membership 

n Access to networking opportunities with industry leaders 

and stakeholders 

n Voice in policy development 

n Easy access to key industry information and developments 

n Access to current newsletters, technical reference documents 

and conference proceedings 

n Discounts for attending GAI conferences & related events 

n Corporate Associate Members 

n Corporate logo & web link to home page appearance on this 

website 

n Up to three individuals granted access to GAI newsletters 

and private members section of the website 

For further information visit: www.geothermalassociation.ie 


An award winning and innovative 

company with a history of integrity, 

Stewart Construction understand 

clients evolving needs and will deliver 

its promise on each and every project. 

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stewart.ie


Land Grab 

Economic advisory body Nesc urges State to build homes on public land 

The National Economic and Social Council (Nesc) has said 

the State should consider using land which it already owns, 

including former docks and rail depots to help solve the 

housing crisis. 

In a new report, the Government advisory body describes 

land in public ownership as the “most critical resource” 

available to the State and points out that a “substantial amount” 

of this land is ideally located in both towns and cities. 

In particular, it singles out “large city-centre areas” which 

were previously in use as docks or rail depots in addition to 

those areas along new public transport corridors opened up by 

infrastructure projects, such as the Luas Cross-City line in Dublin. 

The call to free up prime public land is one of a number 

of recommendations contained in the Nesc report, ‘Urban 

Development Land, Housing and Infrastructure: Fixing 

Ireland’s Broken System’ 

“Publicly owned sites now have a central role in addressing the 

housing crisis and starting the transition to a new system of active 

land management and urban development,” the report states. 

Nesc, which advises Government on the development of 

the economy, also says that generating returns for the State 

should not be the key focus when addressing housing needs. 





“Yet the approach of public bodies 

- NAMA included - is to maximise 

revenue by selling this land outright. 

In the midst of a housing crisis, this 

makes no sense. Simply building more 

unaffordable homes will not solve the 

housing and homelessness crisis.” 

In this regard, it is particularly critical in relation to the process 

of simply disposing State-owned sites to the highest bidder 

without any controls or stipulations placed on how the site is to 

be developed. 

It is crucial that publicly owned land which is being used for 

housing and related infrastructural development is entrusted 

to bodies which will develop it in in a “timely and appropriate 

manner”, rather than focus on maximising state revenue by 

selling it outright. “This would constitute a change from the 

approach adopted by many public bodies, including Nama,” 

Nesc stated. 

The report disputes the view that the shortage of affordable 

homes is as a result of factors related to the economic crash 

and instead attributes the problem to a system which it says 

is fundamentally flawed. Faced with exorbitant land prices, 

developers have no option other than to pursue the most 

profitable development possible rather than the housing types 

which are most in need in order to recoup land costs. 

“It is a mistake to see the current crisis as simply a legacy of 

the crash, which, as it fades, will yield a return to ‘normality,” 

the report says. 

“The dramatic experience of boom, bust and prolonged stasis 

makes it clear that the problem is largely systemic,” it says. 

Over the last 12 months sites controlled both by state bodies 

and Nama have been sold in numbers on a highest price basis, 

according to NESC, that points out that through and ultimately 

for building homes that many assert are simply unaffordable. 

Dr Larry O’Connell, Senior NESC economist points out 

that land use for both publicly and privately owned holdings 

in countries such as Germany, Austria and Belgium that have 

successfully maintained affordable house prices have been 

actively managed by the authorities according to requirements. 

“State bodies should have a responsibility in Ireland as they do 

in other countries, perhaps to partner with developers to provide 

the type of housing the state needs, while also deriving profit. 

“The focal point for competition is land acquisition and land 

hoarding, rather than quality of value for consumers. 

“Overall the supply of land is uncertain, patchy and costly. This 

tends to make the housing system risky, unstable and unaffordable.” 

The report says public land should be used to create 

“permanent housing affordability” through cost rental (whereby 

rents are based on the cost of building the home rather than its 

value), social housing and affordable housing for purchase, as 

simply building more homes will not be enough to solve the 

crisis, according to the report. 

The advisory 

body also 

recommends 

imposing a site 

value tax on 

development Dr Larry O’Connell, Senior NESC economist 

land which it says 

would have “a number of advantages” including having a “less 

distortionary effect” than other forms of taxation in addition to 

promoting “improved land use”. 

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions welcomed the report 

and called for the immediate implementation of its key 

recommendations. ICTU General Secretary, Patricia King 

said she supports the use of publicly-owned land to build 

new homes and ensure that ‘affordability’ is central to official 

housing policy and she “agreed fully” with the NESC report’s 

characterisation of Ireland’s housing system as “speculative, 

volatile and expensive.” 

“The current approach is simply not delivering for workers 

and their families. Most individual wage earners will not qualify 

for a mortgage for one-bed apartment in Dublin, while two 

workers on median earnings are priced out of the market for a 

three-bedroom home in the capital, according to research from the 

Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI). Furthermore, rents are 

now more than 20% above their pre-crash peak, according to the 

Central Statistics Office (CSO),” she said. 

“In terms of land supply, we know the Government has 

identified 1,700 hectares owned by local authorities and the 

Housing Agency and 200 hectares owned by other state and semistate 

bodies (e.g. rail depots and former docks), as suitable for 

housing with the potential to provide at least 50,000 new homes. 

“Yet the approach of public bodies - NAMA included - is 

to maximise revenue by selling this land outright. In the midst 

of a housing crisis, this makes no sense. Simply building 

more unaffordable homes will not solve the housing and 

homelessness crisis. 

“We welcome NESC’s key recommendations on the use of 

publicly-owned land and affordability, along with proposals to 

bring greater certainty and stability to the rental sector. They 

are very much in line with the Congress Charter for Housing 

Rights, and NERI’s 2017 report, Ireland’s Housing Emergency: 

Time for a Game Changer. 

“The government should now give very serious 

consideration to the NESC report and act with urgency on its 

key recommendations,” Ms King said. 



Counting the Costs 

The first quarter of this year saw an overall reduction in the number of corporate insolvencies but the construction sector 

accounted for the highest number of company closures. 

The latest insolvency statistics published by Deloitte show a 

total of 188 corporate insolvencies in the first quarter of the year. 

When compared with Q1 2017 (219) this represents a decrease 

of 14% and is in line with the average rate of decrease observed 

over the last 5 years. 

A closer look at the detail shows that of these 188 corporate 

insolvencies, creditors’ voluntary liquidations accounted for 

the majority, with 118 recorded in the period (63%). In the 

comparable period in 2017, creditors’ voluntary liquidations 

accounted for 114 of the appointments recorded. In Q1 2018, 

54 receiverships were recorded (29%) compared with 86 in Q1 

2017. This mix of insolvencies is typical of other prior periods. 

There were 13 court liquidator appointments in the period, 

up 6 from Q1 2017. Of these 13 appointments, petitions were 

brought by creditors of the companies in 61% of cases, by the 

Revenue Commissioners in 23% of cases, and the balance by the 

company itself. 

Examinerships continue to remain at low levels with only 3 

examinership appointments in the period. This represents just 

1% of the 188 corporate insolvencies and is a marked decreased 

from the 12 appointments recorded in Q1 2017. 

Geographically, the highest number of corporate 

insolvencies in Q1 2018 was recorded in Leinster with 65% 

of total appointments. This is consistent with the comparable 

period in 2017 where Leinster also had 64% of all corporate 

insolvency appointments. In Q1 2018 Munster had 26% of 

appointments, Connaught 7% and Ulster just 1%, again 

showing consistency with the prior period. 

Looking at the ‘Top Five’ industry sectors, it was 

the construction industry which recorded the most insolvencies 

in Q1 2018 with 42 appointments (22%). This is a 17% increase 

on Q1 2017 when 36 appointments were recorded. 

According to Vincent Sorohan, Director, Deloitte’s 

Real Estate, a significant portion of construction company 

insolvencies in the first quarter were legacy cases related to the 

property crash. 

“Construction activity continues to expand at an increasing 

pace, particularly in the housebuilding sector, and the real 



Director General Tom Parlon 

challenge facing the industry appears to be a looming skills 

shortage which may have knock-on effects down the line for 

companies,” he said. 

Sorohan said the liquidation of Carillion which forced the 

closure of Irish Engineering construction company, the Sammon 

Group, showed the need to keep a close watch on the construction 

industry. Carillion Group owed more than €8m to Sammon. 

The Construction Industry Federation (CIF) said the figures 

were alarming and blamed the price inflexibility of government 

contracts together with rising costs which it said had depressed 

profit margins to well below the European average. The collapse 

of Carillion was also having a detrimental impact and the 

Federation warned that the high number of insolvencies could 

have adversely affect public projects. 

The Federation has been working to highlight the potential 

threat and in a letter sent to all TD’s and Ministers, the 

Director General of the CIF, Tom Parlon said the issues were 

“threatening construction jobs and the completion of publicsector 

construction projects in school-building, hospitals, road 

upgrades, social housing, and renovation of public buildings”. 

“The inflexibility of Government contracts in the face 

of substantial increases in input costs mean construction 

companies may now be forced out of business or to abandon 

ongoing public-sector projects. The Government contract 

forces all the risk and costs of unforeseeable issues onto the 

construction company,” the letter said. 

Companies were “locked into delivering projects at this 

price regardless of any cost increase in the intervening period” 

and “several construction companies currently involved in 

public sector contracts now face examinership or abandoning 

live public-sector projects,” he wrote. 

Meanwhile, a survey by one of Ireland’s biggest contractors 

revealed margins averaging 1-1.5% across the Irish industry 

compared to an EU sector norm of 5%. 

“The inflexibility 

of Government 

The insolvency 

crisis among Irish contracts in the 

contractors has 

already affected face of substantial 

17 school building 

projects and 

increases in 

the number of 

education related input costs mean 

projects which have 

been brought to a construction 

halt due to financial 

difficulties has 

companies may 

increased by 750% 

so far this year. now be forced out 

According to 

figures from the of business or to 

Department of 

Education schools abandon ongoing 

in 13 counties have 

been impacted by public-sector 

builders going into 

examinership or 

projects.” 

being liquidated. 

This contrasts with 2016 when no projects were affected due 

to contractors going out of business while there were only two 

such cases last year. 

However, we are still a long way from the height of the 

financial crisis in 2010 when 472 Construction companies or 30% 

of the total number went bust. Some high profile construction 

failures during the year included the Fleming Group, Pierse 

Contracting and McInerney Group. 

Looking at the overall number of corporate insolvencies in 

each year since 2007, the highest number was seen in 2012 with 

1,684 and the number recorded each year has been declining 

consistently since then. 



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Home Grown Talent 

A lack of apprenticeships is threatening our ability to deliver the housing and infrastructure that is urgently required 

A survey conducted by Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) 

on behalf of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has 

found that Ireland lacks the requisite number of apprentices in 

construction to meet our housing and infrastructure needs. 

According to the survey, some 86% of construction 

companies are experiencing issues as a result of an inadequate 

supply of qualified tradespeople and this figure increases to 94% 

of large respondent firms. Only 1 in 3 construction companies 

surveyed reported currently employ apprentices. 

This lack of apprentices may negatively impact on the 

industry reaching its potential output whilst putting upward 

pressure on labour costs and the CIT-DIT recommends that 

urgent actions are taken by Government and industry to 

repurpose the apprenticeship model particularly with regards to 

the wet-trades. 

Whilst construction employment has grown by 50,000 since 

the nadir of 2013, apprenticeship numbers have in some trades 

failed to record significant improvements and declined in some 

important subsectors, such as the wet-trades – bricklaying, 

plastering, painting and decorating and tiling. 

The CIF Apprenticeship Working Group authorised this research 

as part of an ongoing PhD project currently being undertaken in DIT. 

The report is an independent investigation offering unique insight 

gained directly from construction employers. 

The report found only 29% of respondent companies 

currently employ apprentices. Most commonly employed 

apprentices are Carpentry & Joinery followed by Electrician and 

Plumbing. However, the most common apprentice by number 

employed remains Electrician followed by Plumbing, then 

Carpentry and Joinery. 

Dermot Carey, Director of Safety and Training, CIF says 

that apprentices are essential to the development of a modern 

construction industry. “Around 2006, we had over 25,000 

apprentices in the industry and an annual registration of 8,306. 

Today, we only have around 3,000 new registrations annually,” 

he said. 

“We have only 7 female apprentices in the construction 

industry. The industry is in strong recovery mode and 

employment is increasing by about 10,000 workers per year, 

but we are not seeing sufficient numbers coming through the 

apprenticeship model. This survey shows that the model needs 

to be updated particularly with regards to the wet-trades. 

If the construction industry continues to grow as forecast, 

a lack of apprenticeships will have a long-term impact on our 

ability to grow, it will put upward pressure on wages across the 

industry and ultimately, it is possible that some trades will be 

left with a void of homegrown talent. 

According to Carey, skills gaps have emerged across the full 



range of construction trades 

and are most pronounced in 

the wet-trades (e.g. Plastering). 

The shortage is so severe that 

there exists the potential for 

long term problems, such as is 

the case of floor and wall tiling, 

where no new apprentices 

have been registered in the last 

number of years. 

The survey shows that for 

many companies, particularly 

the SME cohort, (about 99% 

of the industry) taking on an 

apprentice is beyond their 

financial capacity. In other 

words, a gap has emerged 

between industry and the 

apprentice in trades that are 

critical to the delivery of the 

housing and infrastructure 

which our society and economy 

requires. Closing this gap will 

need to be a collaborative effort 

with the State. 

“Significant investment 

in the education, training 

and apprenticeship system is 

required if we are to expand 

the capacity of the industry 

to deliver infrastructure and 

resolve the housing crisis 

whilst also equipping the next 

generation with construction 

skills,” said Carey. “Relying 

upon importing mobile 

labour to meet demand is not 

sustainable. Moreover, it is at the 

expense of growing indigenous 

talent and, thus a wasted 

opportunity. Rather, with investment, and targeted measures, the 

State can deliver necessary construction whilst enabling industry to 

provide thousands of quality careers to people.” 

Carey points out that many of today’s industry leaders have 

come through an apprenticeship to now lead global companies 

while hundreds of managers and thousands of workers have 

also come through the system. As such, apprentices play a vital 

role in the evolution of our industry. “We need a fully functional 

apprenticeship system that benefits the apprentice, the company 

and of course, the State. Due to the increasing demand 

for construction output over the next decade, increasing 

apprenticeship numbers is critical so our companies can meet 

Ireland’s housing and infrastructure needs. 

“The pipeline for construction activity is very strong with 

predictions of between 9% and 14% annual growth for the coming 

years. So now is an ideal time to address any shortcomings and 

to ensure that the system is delivering for the triumvirate of 

stakeholders; the apprentice, industry and the State.” 

According to the DIT/CIF report the top three barriers 

“Significant investment in 

the education, training 

and apprenticeship system is 

required if we are to expand 

the capacity of the industry 

to deliver infrastructure 

and resolve the housing 

crisis whilst also equipping 

the next generation with 

construction skills.” 

to companies employing 

tradespeople were the 

discontinuous demand for 

work, onerous legislative 

obligations and the costs 

of direct employment of 

construction trades. 

The survey report’s 

authors Eoghan Ó Murchadha 

and Dr. Róisín Murphy of 

DIT, concluded from the low 

number of firms engaging 

apprentices, that residual 

uncertainty remains within 

the industry and consequently 

there is a reluctance to employ 

apprentices for up to four years. 

“Firstly, for some 

companies, the threat of 

entering into another recession 

in the future may act as a 

deterrent to staff recruitment, 

most notably apprentices,” the 

report states. “In addition, due 

to the reduction in registrations 

on apprenticeship programmes 

for several years, there now 

lacks the requisite number of 

trained construction workers to 

meet demand for construction 

output across all sectors.” 

The report makes several 

recommendations including 

the introduction of a scheme of 

‘zero-rating’ employers PRSI 

contributions for those firms 

engaging apprentices in trades, 

which are identified as being 

in dire need of stimulus. It also 

suggests that a review of the 

duration and sequence of off-the-job phases be undertaken as 

part of a planned initiative to improve employer engagement. 

In addition, it calls for a grant system to be put in place, paid 

in full by the exchequer, for apprenticeship trainees for certain 

construction trades until the shortage has been fully addressed. 

It also recommends the establishment of a collaborative forum 

(involving all stakeholders) to actively and collectively market the 

construction industry as a viable and diverse career choice. 

This research study, which was conducted independently 

of the CIF, presents for the first time, new knowledge regarding 

trends in the construction labour market. The study is a first 

of its kind investigation and as such, helps bridge the existing 

gap in our understanding of trades and apprenticeship skills 

utilisation within the Irish construction industry. 

The majority of respondents to the survey were small to 

medium size enterprises employing fewer than 10 people and 

individually do not employ apprentices in large numbers. As a 

group, they represent the largest cohort within the industry and 

collectively employ more than any other subsection of the sector. 


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The Public Sector Magazine Summer 2018

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