Daniel Murray | Business Post

Daniel Murray

Political Correspondent

@danielmurray

Daniel Murray is Political Correspondent

FG minister censures McDonald over ‘sloppy’ SF party finances comments

Peter Burke, Minister of State for European Affairs, said Sinn Féin leader was trying to deflect attention from serious financial discrepancies

New planning guides aim to cut urban home parking spaces

Government policy aims to reduce car ownership in areas where alternative transport is available

Overseas donations bolster Sinn Féin to the tune of €4.6m

UK rules mean party can accept €3.7m from British benefactor and $1m from US donors, while here parties must limit donations to €2,500

Health tapes whistlebower to face disciplinary process

Shane Corr has revealed financial dysfunction in the health budget and and a controversial legal strategy on the state’s liability for nursing home charges

No requirement for new gas power plants to be hydrogen ready

The state is in the process of contracting 2GWs of new gas fired power plants due to Ireland’s power supply crunch

Government policies failing to address both climate and energy poverty – report

Friends of the Earth report found that the government’s existing approach to both emissions reductions and energy poverty are not delivering on either front

Revealed: EU electricity market reform steps back from radical overhaul

The proposed ‘decoupling’ of the price of gas from the price of electricity will not be included in the proposals set to be published

National shared mobility unit to speed up access to e-bikes, cargo bikes and scooters

Unit to engage with shared mobility operators, local authorities and the NTA to develop and guide policy around shared mobility

Phantom Exports

Finance cannot access details about Irish ‘phantom exports’

For reasons of commercial sensitivity, the Department of Finance has no access to data about Irish goods not produced or traded from here, but booked here for tax purposes

Ryan and officials get ‘burner phones’ for Chinese visit

National Cyber Security Centre warns environment minister and functionaries they will likely be under surveillance at all times during St Patrick’s Day trip

Greens forced to hit the brake on climate plans after political pushback

The flurry caused by last week’s proposal to decrease cars on our roads does not augur well for our climate targets

Government considers new state pension fund to absorb ‘windfall’ corporate tax receipts

The government has taken advice that over half of Ireland’s bumper corporate tax revenues could be windfall in nature and should not be committed into permanent spending

McGrath assessing small landlord tax breaks rejected by Donohoe last year

The now Minister for Public Expenditure rejected a range of proposals to stem the exodus of landlords from the market, just before the eviction ban last year

Ireland’s €134bn ‘phantom exports’ could disappear at the stroke of a pen

Contract manufacturing, which results in one country reaping the tax benefits on goods produced elsewhere, has ramped up in Ireland in recent years, leading experts and economists to once again question Ireland’s true economic position

Free legal aid for environmental challenges will be developed in ‘collaborative manner’

Paul Hogan, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Housing, said the new scheme will protect judicial reviews on environmental grounds

Information from doctors group about new contract was ‘misleading’, says Donnelly

The new public-only Sláintecare contract for doctors comes into force today, just one day after a majority of doctors rejected it

Eamon Ryan delays ‘controversial’ car reduction memo to allow more time for government discussion

The strategy will be one of the most ambitious and contentious aspects of the Green Party’s term in government and has already caused division within the Dáil and within government ranks

Ervia to be wound down and absorbed into Gas Networks Ireland

Bord Gáis Éireann was rebranded as Ervia in 2014 after its energy division was sold off to a private consortium as part of the EU/IMF bailout package

New Soc Dem leader Holly Cairns aims to help more women into politics

Cairns, at 33 the youngest leader of a party, says she hopes to reach 28 per cent of undecided voters, who may feel under-represented by the current system

Ireland among highest gas consumers in EU last winter

Failure to reduce usage blamed on very high gas demand for electricity production due to low wind power generation