Dublin Airport under pressure to deliver plan
Dublin Airport is coming under increasing pressure to clarify its plan to avoid a repeat of scenes which led to more than 1,000 people missing flights last weekend due to lengthy security queues.
Airport officials briefed Government Ministers on Wednesday morning on their plans to avoid a repeat of chaotic scenes last weekend.
According to the Irish Times, senior executives from airport operator DAA met Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan and Minister for State Hildegarde Naughton and gave them given details of the plan for the airport, which is expected to lead to staff redistribution to security and new queueing systems. The Oireachtas transport committee is to be briefed at 1.30pm.
The plan is expected to point towards a new queue management system, more lanes and maximising staff resources.
‘Urgent implementation’ of climate plans needed
Urgent implementation of all climate plans and policies, plus further new measures, are needed for Ireland to meet a 51 per cent emissions reduction target by 2030, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said.
In a new report, the EPA said total greenhouse emissions are estimated to have increased by 6 per cent in 2021.
The EPA said that data shows that planned climate policies and measures, if fully implemented, could deliver up to 28 per cent (4 per cent per annum) emissions reduction up to 2030.
This would indicate that Ireland could only comply with its 2030 EU emissions reduction target if all committed measures were implemented and delivered as planned and with full use of the permitted flexibilities.
Almost one in three Irish people believe Government exaggerated Covid deaths
Almost one in three Irish people believe the Government exaggerated Covid-19 deaths, according to new research from University College Dublin.
The research, which surveyed over 12,000 people across six European countries to investigate public trust in expertise, reveals the public’s view on the pandemic, vaccination, and their belief in various Covid-19 conspiracies.
The study was commissioned by UCD, as part of its European Commission Horizon 2020 project, Policy Expertise and Trust in Action (Peritia).
Despite 31% of people in Ireland thinking the number of deaths from coronavirus were exaggerated by government, the majority still expressed a strong belief in the scientific consensus that Covid-19 vaccines are safe.
Cabinet approves plan for data retention laws after Dwyer ruling
The Cabinet has approved a plan for urgent laws allowing gardaí to continue to retain and access data for national security purposes.
The plan to draft legislation to amend the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 was brought forward by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to address the impact of a recent judgement at the European Court of Justice.
It ruled in favour of convicted murderer Graham Dwyer in April, who had challenged the State prosecution’s use of mobile phone data during his murder trial, saying that the general and indiscriminate manner in which the State accessed and retained the metadata from Dwyer’s mobile phone breached European Union law.
The proposed new laws cannot be applied retrospectively and will not have any impact on the appeal being taken by Dwyer against his conviction, which could be heard before the end of the year.
Violence at Dublin Airport shows dedicated transport police needed
Violence at Dublin Airport and elsewhere on public transport shows a need for dedicated transport police in Ireland, the Dáil justice committee chairman has said.
Fianna Fáil TD James Lawless said public spaces have begun to feel unsafe with drinking and drug-taking a common sight on public transport during the day.
"It is becoming more commonplace. I have seen it. During Covid when people were off the train and off the trams I think most law-abiding citizens stayed at home and perhaps the less law-abiding citizens had free rein and expanded to those places," he told Newstalk radio.
Mr Lawless said public transport had lost ticket collectors and extra drivers and staff need "proper backup" as they go about their work.
He acknowledged that in some cases private security firms are employed to protect the public. However, he maintains that the public should be served by a dedicated transport police force who are accountable, and have training and powers of arrest.
