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Health

75% of Irish beaches ‘excellent’ for swimming – EPA

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For a third year in a row 75 per cent of Ireland’s designated bathing waters have been classified as excellent by the Environmental Protection Agency in its annual report. 130 beaches were marked as excellent, good or of satisfactory standard, however six failed to meet the legally minimum required standard. Three of the six were […]
Technology

BurrenLIFE Programme nominated for EU Green Awards

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Ireland’s BurrenLIFE project has been shortlisted as one of the top five Nature Conservation Projects in Europe, as part of a competition celebrating the impact of the EU LIFE funding programme. Over 4,300 LIFE projects around Europe have been supported through the LIFE fund since 1992, with a combined cost of over €3.4b. To mark […]
News

Latest phase of Dublin Bay cycle path opens in Clontarf

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A key phase of the Dublin Bay cycle path on the northside of the capital was opened this morning. The two kilometre stretch of the Sutton to Sandycove (S2S) Cycleway at Clontarf was officially opened by Dublin Lord Mayor Brendan Carr who hailed the cyclepath as a “wonderful amenity on the north side of the […]
Technology

Local Government Apps from Around the World

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Apps have an amazing ability to put local government services at the fingertips of citizens, yet, so many fail due to poor design or limited functionality. Looking around the world, we’ve found some of the best examples of successful government apps that strike the right balance between innovation and practicality. There’s an app for almost […]
News

New Partnership Drives Sustainability Agenda in Irish Fisheries

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Inland Fisheries Ireland recently signed up to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s (SEAI) Partnership Programme which aims to integrate energy management into public sector organisations. As an environmental agency, Inland Fisheries has a set range of progressive environmental targets to meet, and this new partnership will help provide a roadmap for further
Technology Tourism

Ireland way off its EU greenhouse gas emissions targets

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Ireland is showing little sign of meeting its 2020 emissions targets, according to a damning new report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The worrying report predicts that Ireland will miss its EU greenhouse gas emissions targets, and by a considerable margin too. According to the report, the levels of greenhouse gases emitted by Ireland’s […]
Technology

7 Mobile App Development Tips for Local Government

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Digital technology and apps can be used by local and city governments to improve citizen engagement and transparency and accordingly, digital government initiatives are popping up everywhere. Is your city or county thinking about developing a mobile app? If so and you’re at a loss on where to begin, we have some tips to be […]
News

Oil Pollution exercise to take place at Spanish Point, Co. Clare

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A training exercise testing the response capabilities of Shannon Foynes Port Company, local authorities and other organisations who operate in the vicinity of the Shannon Estuary will take place at Spanish Point, County Clare, on Wednesday and Thursday of next week (26-27 April). The simulated event, which is being hosted by Clare County Council on […]
News Technology

Drones to be used in crackdown on illegal dumping

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Littering and illegal dumping continues to be serious problem across Ireland. In attempt to crackdown on fly-tipping across the country, a campaign of ‘smart enforcement’ is to be launched. Covert surveillance including the use of drones is to form part of a new plan, along with the use of satellite imaging and more CCTV at […]
Education

Burren hosts European Geopark Network event

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Managers and geologists from over 60 European UNESCO Global Geoparks gathered in County Clare last month to attend an international meeting and to visit the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. The Geopark, managed by Clare County Council, was hosting European Geoparks Network members from across the continent including Iceland, Croatia, Spain, Norway, […]
Technology

Cyber-Attack Prevention Must Begin with Staff Training

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The biggest vulnerability any organisation has to cyber-attacks comes from neglecting to create efficient protocols at staff level. A few simple precautions could have prevented many of the “hacks” we saw in 2016. The year 2016 ended on a very sobering note in terms of the increased risks in digital security. In December Meath County […]
Housing News

Decluttering Ireland’s Towns and Cities

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The proliferation of traffic signs on the streets of Ireland’s towns and cities seems to only multiply each year. But are these signs servicing any purpose beyond pleasing regulators? Urban Planner Stephen Coyne, discusses why less is often more.  A serious addiction crowds the streets of our towns and cities. You can hardly walk down […]
Business

Is ‘Remote Working’ Right For Your Organisation?

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Enabled by ubiquitous connectivity and highly efficient communications systems, remote working is facing less and less resistance. In fact, for organisations who believe in it, remote working is proving to increase performance. But is it right for everyone? And what are the drawbacks?   It is now a common practice, no matter what size the […]
Feature

Public Procurement in Ireland: A Critical Review

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The procurement function is now more strategic, more collaborative, more technology-driven, and these transformational trends are ongoing. With some €90 billion in works, supplies and services to be procured in Ireland over the next five years, it is timely therefore to assess whether procurement policy in Ireland is delivering value for money. By Dr Peter […]
Technology

How vulnerable are smart cities to cyber-attack?

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As the ubiquity of technology infiltrates further into our cities’ infrastructure we are becoming more and more at risk of cyberattacks.  Professor Rob Kitchin discusses where the biggest fault lines are, and how we might avoid any possible disaster. Smart city solutions utilise complex, networked assemblages of digital technologies and ICT infrastructure to manage various