Press Releases

Immediate Release The latest public-p rivate native woodland funding scheme is window-dressing to cover up the State’s decades-old failed forestry policy, warns environmental coalition. The call from the Environmental Pillar follows last week’s launch of a public – private fund to support businesses in partnering with the Government and Irish landowners in the creation of […]

  IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Government can take real action to tackle out of control emissions and an unacceptable housing crisis by adopting three common sense taxes in Budget 2019, says Ireland’s largest environmental coalition. The Environmental Pillar has called on the cabinet to support three tax policies that will protect our environment, tackle the escalating […]

  Immediate Release The recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly are the best foundation on which to lay the policy roadmap for real and lasting leadership in tackling climate change. This was the expert view that the Environmental Pillar outlined before a new 22-member Joint Oireachtas Committee to explore how best the State can lead on […]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE Fine Gael’s attempt to piggy-back on Heritage Week to burnish their environmental credentials is a clear attempt to paper over gaping holes in their environment and climate policy says a coalition of Ireland’s leading environmental NGOs. To mark the kick-off of his party’s Green Week, the Tánaiste Simon Coveney TD popped up on social media this […]

IMMEDIATE RELEASE Figures released today that 40 per cent of Irish coastal areas are badly littered is a clear sign that urgent action is needed to halt the deluge of waste clogging our cities, rural towns and marine environment. The findings in the Irish Business Against Litter survey carried out by An Taisce builds upon […]

Immediate Release The passage of the destructive Heritage Bill through the Dail marks a dark day for Irish biodiversity, Ireland’s leading environmental coalition has said. The Government’s Bill was voted through yesterday evening with the support of Fianna Fail despite widespread opposition from all other parties, environmentalists, conservation groups and farmers working together with biodiversity. […]

Irish and International experts warn Oireachtas Committee about serious deficiencies in the UK’s assessment of plans to expand its nuclear power program and the potential impact on Ireland. Speaking in front of the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government this afternoon (12PM), Professors John Sweeney and Stephen Thomas outlined serious flaws in the […]

Immediate Release n environmental coalition has called on Michel Barnier to stress the need for a solution to the border issue that maintains full alignment of environmental rules on the island of Ireland post-Brexit. The EU’s top Brexit negotiator will be in Ireland next week to give a keynote address at the fourth plenary meeting of […]

Immediate Release Environmental coalition concerned with Minister’s latest mixed bag of proposals to tackle the scourge of plastic pollution and packaging waste. Responding to questions in the Dail yesterday on plans to reduce plastic packaging, the Minister for the Environment, Denis Naughten, TD, said that he no longer plans to introduce a levy on single-use compostable coffee cups […]

Immediate Release The Irish state is failing in its duty to fully implement European Directives vital to protect numerous threatened species and habitats on our island. This is the finding of a new report published today by leading environmental NGOs, BirdLife Europe, WWF, European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and Friends of the Earth Europe. [1] The […]

Concerns about the UK’s nuclear expansion program and Ireland’s failures to consult with the Irish public were raised today by TDs and Senators from across the political spectrum, together with environmental NGOs, academics and the agricultural sector. The broad grouping came together for a briefing at Buswell’s Hotel at 11AM this morning organised by the Environmental […]

EMBARGOED: 12.01AM Wednesday 21 March 2018 As International Day of Forests falls upon us, Ireland’s latest forestry figures point to an urgent need for a root and branch reform of our failing forestry policy. [1]  According to the Environmental Pillar – a coalition of 30 national environmental organisations – data in Ireland’s latest Forest Statistics […]

Immediate Release Ireland’s latest forestry figures are a clear sign of the urgent need for a root and branch reform of failing forestry policy, warns a coalition of environmental groups. According to the Environmental Pillar – a coalition of 30 national environmental organisations -the Forest Statistics Ireland 2017 report gives false reassurances that Ireland’s afforestation […]

Immediate Release Strict enforcement on hedgerow cutting and upland burning during the prohibited season is vital to avoid the level of devastation witnessed last year, a coalition of environmental groups has warned. Once the remaining snow left from the Beast from the East along our country verges and on the uplands melts, it is crucial […]

Immediate Release The launch of a public consultation on the UK’s planned Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, less than 250km from Rosslare, is welcome but long overdue, leading environmental groups said today. An Taisce, Friends of the Irish Environment, and the Environmental Pillar said that it is vital that the Irish people now raise […]

Ireland’s leading environmental coalition welcomes support from Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone for a deposit and return system on plastic bottles, and calls on her party’s leaders to follow suit. The Environmental Pillar – a coalition of 28 national environmental organisations – is pleased to see the Senator’s support of this progressive policy which she […]

Immediate Release Large fines loom for the Government as the European Commission brings the Irish State back to court over its decade-long failure to carry out an environmental impact assessment for Ireland’s largest wind farm. The Environmental Pillar – a coalition of 28 national environmental organisations – welcomed the Commission’s decision which highlights the catastrophic failure […]

The Government must support the straightforward and progressive policies in the Green Party’s Waste Reduction Bill to tackle our escalating plastic problem, the Oireachtas Environment Committee heard today. Speaking before the Committee this afternoon, Mindy O’Brien, the Coordinator of VOICE – a leading environmental charity focused on tackling plastic pollution – told the Committee that […]

 Immediate Release The State must step up its game to tackle plastic pollution in the wake of the UK’s pledge to eliminate plastic waste by 2042, Ireland’s leading environmental coalition has said. Measures in the UK’s new 25 Year Environment Plan launched by UK Prime Minister Theresa May this morning include extending the UK’s plastic […]

Immediate Release Ireland’s leading environmental coalition warmly welcomes the High Court’s recognition of environmental rights in the Irish Constitution. In a judgement earlier today, Mr Justice Barrett recognised for the first time a constitutional right to environmental protection “that is consistent with the human dignity and well-being of citizens at large”. [1] In his judgement, […]

The State must stop incentivising farmers to engage in environmentally-damaging commercial timber schemes and shift support toward more sustainable native tree cover initiatives, Ireland’s leading environmental coalition has said. The comments from the Environmental Pillar – a coalition of 26 national environmental organisations –  follows the recent launch of the Irish Farmers’ Association’s (IFA) Five […]

The EPA’s damning indictment of our transport system’s contribution to poor air quality in Ireland underlies the urgent need to move away from polluting diesel and petrol vehicles. The environmental watchdog’s report on air quality in Ireland released today singles out traffic as a key pressure on air quality in our largest cities. [1] The […]

The Environmental Pillar welcomes the new Waste Tyre Management Regulations and calls on the Joint Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment to give them their full support. However, the Pillar has learned that the Joint Oireachteas Committee scrutinising the legislation is being lobbied by the tyre Industry and by some TDs in an attempt […]

The Environmental Pillar has expressed extreme disappointment at the exclusion of any measures to equalise the cost of diesel and petrol in Ireland in Budget 2018. We expected to at least see some moves toward disincentivising diesel use, given the growing body of evidence on the damaging impact of its use on our climate and health. Diesel fuel exhaust […]