Sam Tranum

FOI was refused 😪

In justifying its plan to abandon its Wood Quay HQ, council refuses to show its homework It's generally more environmentally friendly to renovate existing buildings than to abandon them to the wrecking ball, but other public organisations could follow suit.

Not sure what it would cost to retrofit. DCC's CEO keeps saying numbers. But the council won't show studies to support those.
www.dublininquirer.com/in-justifyin...

Job opportunity, with one of our neighbours.

Yeah, the project of doing the place up while it's occupied seems really daunting, I can see how that'd be a big issue.

Many questions, few answers about council's plan to leave Wood Quay and build new HQ When a councillor tried to raise the project at the monthly meeting Monday, he was given 10 seconds.

www.dublininquirer.com/many-questio...

They're saying things like, to provide "modern, sustainable workplaces for staff and improved public services for citizens".

There's an argument current offices won't meet energy efficiency targets by 2030, and it'd cost less to move than do them up, but they refuse to show studies backing that up.

And very little scrutiny from the city's 63 councillors, publicly at least.

Most councillors seem to be giving the CEO a lot of space to do what he wants on this project, few questions being asked, vague answers -- or I'll-tell-you-laters -- being accepted.

"Tried washing the French press. Didn't come clean. Not sure why?"

... take on such a tricky site, when there's easier ones to work on. Sell it off to a developer? I dunno, similar questions. Anyways, before the Q of what'll be knocked, what'll be built, I think comes: who'll do it? Perhaps they're not telling details cause they don't have any yet. 2/

It is unclear to me who would build the housing on the Wood Quay site. Like, if DCC was gonna do it, they would normally get financing from Dept of Housing, but Dept might be reluctant to fund such a tricky site (historic bldgs, archaeology underground). So maybe the LDA? But why would they ... 1/

In justifying its plan to abandon its Wood Quay HQ, council refuses to show its homework It's generally more environmentally friendly to renovate existing buildings than to abandon them to the wrecking ball, but other public organisations could follow suit.

We have not been able to get any detail on things like this out of the council. Though we have been trying.

www.dublininquirer.com/in-justifyin...

www.dublininquirer.com/what-would-b...

Looks like Dublin City Council has bought Camden Yard, a site on Kevin Street, with a plan to built itself new offices there, relocate its Wood Quay HQ there -- per a message from teh council's CEO to councillors.

As profitable energy companies raise customers’ prices, TD says it’s time to bring back price regulation “We are approaching the point (if we’re not already there) where we can justifiably claim that competition has failed,” says Labour energy spokesperson Ciarán Ahern.

As profitable energy companies raise customers’ prices, TD says it’s time to bring back price regulation. “We are approaching the point (if we’re not already there) where we can justifiably claim that competition has failed,” says Labour energy spokesperson Ciarán Ahern. (Sept 2025)

Although council once pushed to “terminate” it, scheme letting clampers knock off early if they met quotas remained - Dublin Inquirer Does the scheme tempt clamping crews to flock to spots where they can find easy pickings, and ignore other areas?

Although council once pushed to “terminate” it, scheme letting clampers knock off early if they met quotas remained. (2024)

The tip of Bull Island has been slowly disappearing “We’re losing a lot of [it],” said Mary Tubridy, an established Dublin ecologist, “and the chances are, we'll be losing more of it.”

The tip of Bull Island has been slowly disappearing “We’re losing a lot of [it],” said Mary Tubridy, an established Dublin-based ecologist, “and the chances are, we'll be losing more of it.”

Publish taskforce’s report on special education needs in Dublin 15, local councillors tell department It submitted its report and recommendations in June.

Publish taskforce’s report on special education needs in Dublin 15, local councillors have told the Department of Education. It submitted its report and recommendations in June.

In Skerries, a new space for lovers of board and card games The walls are stacked with games. Familiar ones like Catan, and Dungeons and Dragons, and less familiar ones such as Calico, Sushi Go, and Cascadia.

In Skerries, there's a new space for lovers of board and card games. The walls are stacked with games. Familiar ones like Catan, and Dungeons and Dragons, and less familiar ones such as Calico, Sushi Go, and Cascadia.

Developers must build promised creche spaces – and find operators to run them, Fingal motion says “It shall be a condition of planning that the developer must ensure the facility is fully delivered and operational,” Labour Councillor Mark Boland's motion says.

Developers must build promised creche spaces – and find operators to run them, a Fingal motion says. “It shall be a condition of planning that the developer must ensure the facility is fully delivered and operational,” Labour Councillor Mark Boland's motion says.

Council set to brush off plan for new tearoom in Bushy Park, chief executive says First floated as an idea more than a decade ago, it stalled without funding.

The council is set to brush off a plan for a new tearoom in Bushy Park, its chief executive says. First floated as an idea more than a decade ago, it stalled without funding.

Delays in residence permit renewals put lives of non-EU immigrants on hold – again After a while, they can’t work and can’t travel abroad and return.

Delays in residence permit renewals are putting the lives of non-EU immigrants on hold – again. After a while, they can’t work and can’t travel abroad and return.

Grand vision for Pigeon House on Poolbeg Peninsula is shrunk way down – for now Council officials want to keep renting it for about the next five years to the wastewater plant operators.

A grand vision for Pigeon House, on Poolbeg Peninsula, is shrunk way down – for now. Council officials want to keep renting it for about the next five years to the wastewater plant operators.

To condemn the US/Israel war on Iran Passed: 39 for, 9 against, 4 abstentions

I've made some progress on the front-end design of councilvotetracker.ie.

Some more tweaks to make, but the main job now is going in and putting in the missing votes for 2023-2025, and then keeping it updated as we go.

Students call for clear system to report racist incidents One in four minority ethnic school students who took part in a survey on racism said they experienced racism at least once a month, and most experienced it once a week or more.

One in four minority ethnic school students who took part in a survey on racism said they experienced racism at least once a month, and most experienced it once a week or more. The ISSU has called for clear and accessible reporting mechanisms in schools for racist incidents when they occur

Govt seeks housing investors at French Riviera conference Ireland is hosting a dedicated pavilion at one of the world's most significant property conferences this week, on the French Riviera, as part of an effort to attract billions of euro in foreign invest...

Ireland is hosting a dedicated pavilion at one of the world's most significant property conferences this week, on the French Riviera, as part of an effort to attract billions of euro in foreign investment into our housing system

Coin used as Leeds bus fare was 2,000‑year‑old currency The coin was handed down to Peter Edwards from his grandfather in the 1950s.

This is the sort of thing a cashless society robs us of, the opportunity to try to get away with paying the bus fare in Carthaginian currency www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Help us report: How are journalists in Ireland using AI these days? We're curious what you're using it for, and what you think about that.

I've been getting some really interesting responses to my survey on how journalists are using (or not using) AI in newsrooms in Ireland.

If you haven't already, I'd be grateful if you could take the time to fill it out too - or share it around. You may also want to make fun of my handwriting.

A Trump Order Protected a Weedkiller. And Also a Weapon of War.

Glyphosate (Roundup) weedkiller 🤝 white phosphorous for US wars.

Journalism prize established in memory of hit-and-run victim Joe Drennan University of Limerick and The Irish Times announce award for third-level students across Ireland

"Entries are now open for the Unheard Voices: the Joe Drennan Memorial Prize for a piece of journalism offering a voice to those who so often go unheard." www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...