How will infrastructure be overseen and delivered by the new government? That question will only be answered when the new programme is agreed and published. One can only speculate at this stage. But there are two possibilities – one from…

Last May two quite different publications examined the quality of impact assessments. One was from the Regulatory Scrutiny Board of the European Union, on 13 May. https://commission.europa.eu/publications/regulatory-scrutiny-board-annual-report-2023_en The second was issued by the Regulatory Policy Committee for the United Kingdom,…

Two technical chapters were added to the ‘Infrastructure Guidelines’ on 8 March. These chapters provide updated values for Shadow Price of Carbon Valuations for the estimated damage costs of non-greenhouse gas pollutants (NOX, SO2, PM and noise) The expanded guidelines…

Dedicated to the late Niamh Bhreathnach former Minister of Education.  This piece was written by Tom Ferris (husband), pays as a tribute to his wife, Niamh Bhreathnach and her significant contributions to education and equality in Ireland. It highlights her…

What is Neurodiversity? Neurodiversity is a concept that recognises the natural variation in human neurological and cognitive functioning. It is the idea that there is a natural diversity in the ways that individuals process information, learn, and communicate. In Ireland,…

New Guidelines for Public Investment Management in Ireland New guidelines for public investment management came into effect on the 1st of January 2024. The are simply called ‘Infrastructure Guidelines’ and they largely replace the previous ‘Public Spending Code’. The new…

With the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and the Assembly, the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) can now engage more fully in the development and implementation of public policies. It will be helped by a practical guide that had…