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EU’s emissions reporting strategy remains fundamentally flawed
Colm McCarthy
The climate council has again reported that agriculture is responsible for over a third of all Irish emissions, even though most of the sector’s output is exported, a flawed approach.
4 September 2024 Viewpoints
Colm McCarthy: no need to risk another boom-bust cycle
In the period leading up to the banking bust of late 2008, the flattering budget numbers proved to be an illusion.
28 August 2024 Viewpoints
China's threat to Irish dairy exports
Individual member states cannot do solo trade deals with distant countries but must negotiate as a bloc.
Colm McCarthy: Dublin airport's passenger cap
The airport operator, the State-owned DAA, has just completed this second parallel runway to match the current main runway 10/28 which opened in 1989
21 August 2024 Viewpoints
Colm McCarthy - Clearing the Dublin Olympics hurdle
There is a lively debate under way in Los Angeles about keeping costs under control and the intention is to avoid entirely the construction of single-use disposable sports venues.
14 August 2024 Viewpoints
Strong upward momentum in the public capital programme for sports projects
The Public Spending Code has come to be regarded as a hindrance by politicians and lobby groups.
7 August 2024 Viewpoints
Evaluation of State capital project spending
The best defence against waste in the capital programme would be a Public Investment Act placing the public spending code on a statutory basis.
31 July 2024 Viewpoints
Delays to housing and renewable projects
Delays in the planning system have made Irish Government targets for housing supply unattainable in recent years.
24 July 2024 Viewpoints
Colm McCarthy: practical measures needed to turn targets into policy
Targets in conflict are a recipe for delay and cost escalation. The latest domain for this habit of political evasion is defence policy.
17 July 2024 Opinion
Knock on impacts from Labour's UK victory
The governing legislation has turned out to be a Nimbies’ Charter, conferring veto powers on geographically small planning authorities sensitive to the objections of residents’ associations.
10 July 2024 Viewpoints
Colm McCarthy's UK general election predictions
In the next parliament, the surviving Tories will include very few Europe-friendly politicians, many of whom were discarded by Boris Johnson before the 2019 election.
3 July 2024 Viewpoints
Shortfalls in infrastructure
The record of oversight on State capital spending, particularly on big once-off projects, has been poor.
26 June 2024 Viewpoints