Press Releases

Immediate Release Ireland’s leading environmental coalition welcomes the Social Democrats inclusion of a levy on single-use and non-recyclable plastics in the party’s pre-Budget submission. Launched this morning, the party’s submission states that the two environmental levies would bring in €2 million in revenue, while also helping reduce the use of plastics across society. [1] The […]

Immediate Release Ireland’s leading environmental coalition welcomes the Green Party’s support of its proposal to equalise the cost of diesel and petrol in Budget 2018. Launching its alternative budget this morning, the Greens also outlined their support for the Environmental Pillar’s proposal for the inclusion of an aggregates levy. [1][2] The Pillar – a coalition of 26 […]

The Government’s latest biodiversity action plan lacks aspiration, focus and strategy, Ireland’s leading environmental coalition has said on the verge of the plan’s launch this morning. The 2017-2021 National Biodiversity Action Plan is set to be launched by Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys this morning. The Environmental Pillar – a coalition of 26 national environmental organisations […]

An All-Ireland environmental NGO coalition is in Brussels today to voice their shared concerns over the serious impact Brexit may have on crucial cross-border cooperation to protect the environment. As the fourth round of Brexit negotiations gets underway, representatives from the Environmental Pillar and Northern Ireland Environmental Link will be meeting with high-level European representatives, […]

Immediate Release The Irish branch of the European-wide People4Soil campaign has smashed its national quota for an official EU petition calling on the European Commission to protect soils across Europe. Soil is a vibrant living substance which is vital for life on Earth, with each and every one of us depending on the four or five […]

Immediate Release The use of existing forestry grants to allow farmers to plant native woodlands along rivers and streams would dramatically reduce farm water pollution, Ireland’s leading environment coalition has said. The Environmental Pillar – a coalition of 26 national environmental organisations – wants to see excess funds from under-spent non-native forestry funding diverted to […]

Sustainable development and environmental protection must be put at the heart and centre of the Future of Europe, says Ireland’s leading environmental coalition. Following today’s State of the European Union speech by European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker on his vision for the Future of Europe, the Environmental Pillar has called for a more democratic, […]

Immediate Release With just four weeks left to reach Ireland’s target, The Happy Pear twins are calling on all food lovers to add their signature to the People4Soil petition to save our soil. Ireland needs 8,250 signatures before 12 September 2017 to pass the European Citizen’s Initiative petition which is pushing for the European Commission […]

The Citizens’ Assembly must call for a referendum to give a constitutional right to environmental protection to the people of Ireland, says the country’s leading environmental coalition. The Environmental Pillar – a coalition of 26 national environmental organisations – outlined its view in a submission for the Assembly’s upcoming session on “How the State can make […]

Immediate Release The Environmental Pillar reiterates that hedgerow cutting remains illegal during the month of August, and calls for stronger enforcement of existing wildlife laws. Ireland’s leading environmental coalition calls for existing wildlife laws on hedgerow cutting to be strictly enforced this month to avoid any further devastation to our wildlife and habitats this year. […]

Immediate Release The government should focus on its own mitigation efforts instead of offering the false hope of helping poorer countries adapt to climate change through unsustainable agricultural practices, Ireland’s leading environmental coalition has said. The comments from the Environmental Pillar – a coalition of 26 national environmental organisations – follow a speech from Minister […]

Immediate Release Ireland’s leading environmental coalition welcomes the Seanad’s calls for concrete action to ensure environmental regulation remains rigorous across the island of Ireland in a post-Brexit world. A new Seanad report – Brexit: Implications and Potential Solutions – calls for Ireland to be “considered a single bio-geographic unit” amid fears that UK and EU regulation […]

Immediate Release Leading environmental organisation outlines three key budget policies to net over €200m in revenue and limit environmentally damaging activities. Taxing environmentally damaging practices and giving the money back through investment should be a key initiative of Budget 2018, Ireland’s largest environmental organisation has told the Minister of Finance. In its pre-budget submission to […]

Today’s passing of the historic Bill to ban onshore fracking is a great victory for local campaigners and a boost for the global climate movement, Ireland’s leading environmental organisation has said. The Petroleum and Other Minerals Development (Prohibition of Onshore Hydraulic Fracturing) Bill 2016 will now move on to the President for signing after passing […]

Crucial cross-border cooperation to protect the environment across the island of Ireland must not be “diluted” by Brexit, warned MEPs, NGOs and leading legal experts at a conference today. The views were expressed at a conference in Dundalk today [Friday, 16 June 2017] to examine the potential impacts on the Irish environment in a post-Brexit […]

President Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement shows a profound lack of solidarity with the rest of the world in tackling the universal threat of climate change. The Environmental Pillar wholeheartedly denounces the decision, which puts the Agreement’s goal of limiting global average temperature to within 2°C above pre-industrial levels in […]

Post-Brexit cross-border cooperation crucial to protect the environment and tackle climate change, say leading environmental groups both North and South of the border The need for cross-border cooperation will be crucial to protect the environment across the island of Ireland as Brexit looms closer, the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement […]

May 31st, 2017 Immediate Release Leading environmental organisation outlines three key budget policies to net €215m in revenue and limit environmentally damaging practices. Taxing environmentally damaging practices and giving the money back through investment should be a key initiative of Budget 2018, Ireland’s largest environmental organisation told the Budget Oversight Committee today. Speaking in front […]

Immediate Release Ireland was among nine countries named and shamed at the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Awards ceremony in Brussels today for the Government’s commitment to subsidise peat burning for electricity generation. Ireland was crowned number one for giving Sneaky Special Treatment to peat-burning at today’s medal ceremony, hosted by Climate Action Network – a coalition […]

For Immediate Release The Irish Environmental Network is delighted to announce the launch of Ireland’s National Biodiversity Week, which will take place from the 19th – 28th May 2017. Over the course of nine days, over 50 free events will take place all across the country, celebrating Ireland’s diverse species and natural habitats. From bat walks and […]

Immediate Release The Environmental Pillar will hold a seminar in Galway with Independent MEP Marian Harkin on Friday, 26 May 2017 to highlight Irish people’s rights to access information as EU citizens. The interactive seminar – Right to Know, Right to Act: Your rights as a European Citizen – will take place at the Harbour Hotel Galway from […]

Immediate Release The Environmental Pillar will hold a seminar in Athlone with Independent MEP Marian Harkin on Friday, 26 May 2017 to highlight Irish people’s rights to access information as EU citizens. The interactive seminar – Right to Know, Right to Act: Your rights as a European Citizen – will take place at the Sheraton Athlone Hotel from […]

For Immediate Release To celebrate the launch of National Biodiversity Week 2017, the Irish Environmental Network is offering people the chance to win two tickets to its Flagship Event: a moonlight kayak to witness the astonishing bioluminescence on Lough Hyne in county Cork, Europe’s first ever marine nature reserve. The Irish Environmental Network (IEN) – […]

Immediate Release The Environmental Pillar will hold a seminar with MEP Liadh Ni Riada this Friday, 28 April 2017 to highlight Irish people’s rights to access information as EU citizens. The interactive seminar – Right to Know, Right to Act: Your rights as a European Citizen – will take place at the Savoy Hotel, Henry Street, Co […]