Aontú set for Árd Fheis in Co Meath
Members of Aontú will gather for the party's Árd Fheis in Co Meath today.
Public service accountability, immigration, housing, and what the party has termed "common sense political reform" are among the issues expected to be discussed.
Aontu, which now holds two Dáil seats, one in the Seanad and eight in local authorities, is expecting as many as 400 people to attend the event.
Among the most high-profile issues likely to be raised will be what Aontú says is the "glacial" pace of delivery on projects such as the national children's hospital.
An early morning session on the international protection system for people seeking asylum in Ireland, which party leader Peadar Tóibín this week described as "chaotic", is likely to gain attention...
Aontu's ard fheis will end after Mr Tóibín's key note speech this evening, which will be broadcast live on RTÉ One after the Six One News, with a simultaneous ISL version on the RTÉ News Channel.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Almost one in four Irish earners is paying no income tax, says Revenue
While the number of taxpayer units earning enough to be liable for the standard rate will be just over 2.2 million, an estimated 1.06 million of these, or 30pc, will not pay anything because their liability is fully covered by their tax credits. Another 256,600 taxpayer units, or 7pc of the total, are exempt from income tax. The statistics, contained in an answer by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to a Dáil question, means 37pc of earners will pay no income tax this year. In an annual report on the Irish economy, published yesterday, the European Commission emphasised the need to reduce the risks created by the high concentration of tax revenue among a relatively small number of payers. Ireland should broaden its tax base, given the reliance on relatively few foreign-owned multinationals, and there is particular scope for expanding the local property charge, the commission says. 'Ireland's labour-tax system is highly progressive, but it relies on a narrow tax base,' according to the report, which says the top 10pc of taxpayers accounted for approximately 60pc of the tax yield in 2022. This concentration of revenue means the tax base is vulnerable to economic shifts. Ireland's labour-tax revenues are well below the EU average, and 'to cope with high projected budget expenses, diversification in Ireland's public revenue structure is warranted', the report says. Ireland's share of labour taxes as a proportion of GDP is not even half the EU average, and remains below the EU average when adjusted to GNI*, a measure of economic activity that takes out the distorting effect of multinationals. There is also scope to expand the local property charge, since the revenue collected – which was 1.8pc of GNI* in 2022 – is also below the EU average, which was 2.1pc that year. On the spending side, the European Commission calls on Ireland to 'reinforce' defence spending in line with decisions reached by the European Council in March. The report points out that spending on defence in Ireland remained stable at 0.2pc of GDP between 2021 and 2023. According to its forecast, it will remain at this level for both last year and this year. This means there has been no change in four years. ADVERTISEMENT As the healthcare system is overly reliant on costly hospital care, exacerbated by the lack of universal primary care coverage, there is scope for reform to alleviate the strain on hospitals The commission says there are still concerns about the impact that spending by the healthcare system is having on fiscal sustainability. The ageing of the population is going to mean an increase in health spending of 1.5pc of GDP by 2070, while across the EU the average increase is projected to be 0.4pc. 'As the healthcare system is overly reliant on costly hospital care, exacerbated by the lack of universal primary care coverage, there is scope for reform to alleviate the strain on hospitals,' the report says. Given the heightened political uncertainty, Ireland's dependence on foreign multinationals needs to be looked at, and the European Commission warns there is an 'urgent need' to build a more resilient, innovation-driven domestic economy. It points out that spending on research and development (R&D) in Ireland is at one of the lowest rates in the EU, accounting for just 0.4pc of GNI*. This has led to a noticeable technology innovation gap between Irish SMEs and their counterparts in comparable European countries. 'Boosting R&D expenditure and providing targeted Research and Innovation (R&I) support could help boost SME productivity,' it says.
Irish Independent
18 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Revealed: The number of XL Bullies surrendered in Tipperary since ban introduced
The ban on the dogs was brought in amid fears for public safety after the death of Limerick woman Nicole Morey who was mauled to death by her two XL Bully dogs last June, one of a number of serious dog attacks by the breed. The ban was brought in over two stages to give XL Bully type dog owners who wished to keep their dog, the time to obtain a certificate of exemption. So far, up to 1,800 applications for certificates of exemptions have been made nationwide, with almost 1,000 granted. The ban also offered the owners of XL Bully type dogs the option of surrendering them to their local authority. In Tipperary, up to the end of March, just two dogs have been surrendered to Tipperary County Council. Figures released to the Dáil by Minister for Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary showed that 48 dogs had been surrendered so far since the ban was introduced. The Minister said that the ban came in the 'interest of public safety'. "Members of the public must comply with the regulations. Any owner found to be in breach of the regulations will have committed an offence under the Control of Dogs Act 1986. "Responsibility for the enforcement of the regulations rests with the individual local authorities, who are empowered to seize XL Bully type dogs where necessary under the relevant statutory provisions,' Minister Calleary said. The area which saw the largest number of XL Bullies surrendered was Dublin, with 11, followed by Limerick (10) and Cork City with four.
Extra.ie
21 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Taoiseach backs data centres in bid to stay ahead in AI race
'Workarounds' to restrictions on data centres are being explored by the Government so Ireland can keep pace with the 'AI revolution'. Taoiseach Micheál Martin criticised 'ill-informed' debate on data centres in the Dáil and called for more 'sensible' discussions about the matter. He said that Government departments and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) are examining the future of the data centre moratorium in Dublin. Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire It comes despite concerns that data centres are consuming so much power that they are putting the delivery of new homes at risk and driving up energy bills. A senior civil servant last week warned Ireland will have to choose between 'housing or AI', as they eat up so much energy that the capacity to connect new homes to the electricity grid is affected. But the Fianna Fáil leader doubled down on plans to build more data centres, amid claims from the tech sector that the de facto moratorium is stalling the creation of thousands of jobs. A file image of a data centre. Pic: Shutterstock Mr Martin said that he 'would be confident in the post-2030 era' that Ireland will be generating enough renewable energy 'to deal with the AI revolution' and the impact the technology and data centres have on the environment and energy supplies. Mr Martin said the debate on data centres is 'ill-informed' and criticised the focus on regulation over innovation at an EU level. Demand for data centres soared following the emergence of artificial intelligence, which relies on the facilities for storage, power and data processing. Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin. Pic: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg via Getty Images But Opposition TDs and environmentalists have cited the strain they place on the grid and their environmental impact. Concerns over their energy use resulted in Eirgrid introducing a de facto moratorium on new data centres in Dublin in 2022, which is set to last until 2028. But in an address at the Global Economic Summit last week, Mr Martin highlighted the economic need for Ireland and Europe to keep pace with other global economies in the 'AI revolution'. 'The digital and green economies, we can't separate them out. They're both key pillars of the future, and we've got to work extremely hard to work out how we develop both,' he said. 'We've had a relatively negative domestic debate about data centres, which I think has been ill-informed and has not had perspective… 'We need perspective on these issues, because people increasingly want the services that the digital world provides. 'We've got to work on where we provide the energy, and to match that. We [need to] just get sensible about the debate and how we work our way through it.' The Taoiseach said that Europe is 'way behind in AI as a continent compared to the US and China' – a point that he said was frequently made by US executives on his St Patrick's Day visits. Responding to queries from the Taoiseach said the Government and the energy regulator are reviewing the embargo on new data centres in the capital. 'The regulator is looking at the [moratorium] with the Department of Climate and Environment and is working with the Department of Enterprise in mapping out the next number of years in terms of how we can deal with this. Because I would be confident in the post-2030 era that we will have sufficient renewables coming on board to deal with the AI revolution and the impact it's having on the consumption of energy,' Mr Martin said. The Fianna Fáil leader acknowledged the 'realities about what the energy grid can provide'. extremely hard to work out how we develop both,' he said. 'We've had a relatively negative domestic debate about data centres, which I think has been ill-informed and has not had perspective… 'We need perspective on these issues, because people increasingly want the services that the digital world provides. 'We've got to work on where we provide the energy,y and to match that. We [need to] just get sensible about the debate and how we work our way through it.' The Taoiseach said that Europe is 'way behind in AI as a continent compared to the US and China' – a point that he said was frequently made by US executives on his St Patrick's Day visits. Responding to queries from the Taoiseach said the Government and the energy regulator are reviewing the embargo on new data centres in the capital. 'The regulator is looking at the [moratorium] with the Department of Climate and Environment and is working with the Department of Enterprise in mapping out the next number of years in terms of how we can deal with this. Because I would be confident in the post-2030 era that we will have sufficient renewables coming on board to deal with the AI revolution and the impact it's having on the consumption of energy,' Mr Martin said. The Fianna Fáil leader acknowledged the 'realities about what the energy grid can provide'. But he welcomed a recent CRU policy paper, which included a proposal requiring data centres to build plants to store electricity on site. He added: 'There are workarounds to this, and that's what the Government – with the two departments that I've mentioned, plus the CRU are now looking at.' Figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) last summer showed that data centre demand increased by 1,064 gigawatt-hours (GWh), or 20%, in 2023. Research from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) showed that renewable power connected to the grid, primarily from wind and solar projects, grew by an almost identical amount in the same year, meaning the growth in clean power achieved in 2023 was entirely cancelled out by the growth in electricity demand from data centres. In 2023, for the first time, Ireland's data centres consumed more electricity last year than all of its urban homes combined. Data centres consumed 21% of energy from the grid that year, compared to 18% used to power homes across the country. Dublin is the world's third-largest data centre hub, according to a study by US-based analyst Synergy Research Group last year. Social Democrats spokeswoman on climate, the environment and energy, Jennifer Whitmore, said that changing State policy on data centres without proper consultation would be 'very dangerous' for the economy. The Wicklow TD said Ireland has had a 'turbulent' number of years in terms of energy security, citing warnings of blackouts in the past five years. 'By 2030, 30% of Ireland's energy supply could be going towards data centres. This compares to an EU average of 3%. We are already overstretching ourselves,' she said. The data centre firm Equinix last week cited research it commissioned by KPMG, which found plans for new data centre in south Dublin would support a further 10,000 jobs and contribute €200million to the economy. Secretary General of the Department of Energy, Oonagh Buckley, said last week that Ireland faces a choice between providing energy for data centres or housing – a claim that has been characterised as 'not true' by the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach was also critical about the EU's approach to data centres and AI, saying that there is a perception of the bloc being 'overly focused on regulation to the detriment of innovation'. However, he welcomed a 'shift in attitude' from European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen in recent weeks and highlighted the recent AI summit in France, initiated by French president Emmanuel Macron, as 'particularly useful'. In a statement, the Department of Enterprise said that there has been 'cross-Government engagement between departments and with the data centre sector' to inform CRU policy on large energy users and 'ensure that all views are understood by Government and the regulator' before proposals are implemented. A spokeswoman for the Department of the Environment, Energy and Climate said that Ireland's relationship with the tech sector is 'really important, and the Government continues to work with the sector towards a secure and decarbonised energy future'.
