How an Irish CBD pet product maker sidestepped Trump's tariffs - ‘best decision we ever made'
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How an Irish CBD pet product maker sidestepped Trump's tariffs - 'best decision we ever made'
Fionn Thompson
05:00
David Hartigan, chief executive of pet product producer Hemp Heros. Picture: Fergal Phillips

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Irish Examiner
32 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Waste management firm Chemishield to create 50 new Irish jobs
Chemical waste management company Chemishield has announced the creation of 50 new roles across its Irish operations. The jobs will be filled in the next 18 months, the company has said, and will support Chemishield's next phase of growth which will include its expansion into North America. As well as its geographical expansion, the company is also aiming for increased customer acquisition and new product development. The company has also announced that Malcolm Bell, the CEO of Envetec Sustainable Technologies, has made a strategic investment in the company and joined its board of directors. The investment represents an important new phase for Chemishield, with firm said, with Mr Bell boasting "an impressive track record in businesses such as healthcare, life sciences, and sustainability." 'Malcolm's decision to join Chemishield highlights the scale of the opportunity ahead,' said Kevin Walsh, founder and CEO of Chemishield. 'We are changing how chemical and lab waste is managed at its source, and Malcolm's strategic insight, proven track record, and experience scaling companies will be essential as we grow our platform and expand our partnerships. Over the next 18 months, we expect to onboard up to 50 FTEs across sales, support and tech.' Chemishield's cloud-based platform replaces older manual systems with digital tools that automate waste classification, regulatory labelling, and compliance reporting. The software helps organisations reduce risk, cut costs, and meet ESG goals while supporting broader digital transformation agendas. 'Chemishield sits at the intersection of safety, sustainability, and digital transformation," said Malcolm Bell, founder and CEO of Envetec. 'With rising demand across essential industries, Chemishield is uniquely positioned to scale and set a new benchmark for compliance, safety, and operational efficiency.' In addition to its expansion, the company is also exploring white-label opportunities with global environmental service providers. Chemishield focuses on key sectors, including pharmaceuticals, healthcare, life sciences, and food and beverages. Its waste segregation module is the first of its kind, enabling environmental, health and safety, and lab teams to eliminate errors at the source while enhancing data capture and waste stream traceability.


Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Ireland does not satisfy international standard for election observation, group claims
The Government has been called on to reassess legislation around election observing after reported issues during the general election. Non-governmental organisation Democracy Volunteers sent a group of observers to Dublin and Kildare to observe but said that while the Government and "many individual returning officers" are welcoming, some were not. The group claimed Ireland does not fully meet the international standard for election observation as, in the case of a general election, observation is only possible where each individual returning officer gives their approval for it to go ahead. As a result, election observation can, and sometimes is, prevented by local returning officers, said director of Democracy Volunteers, Dr John Ault. "This is not an ideal situation as, despite the clear benefits of election observation, which the Irish Foreign Ministry contributes to around the world, as part of the EU and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) states, it does not fully allow observation of its own elections," said Dr Ault. "We therefore call on the Irish Government to reassess its legalisation regarding election observation to allow domestic and international observers full access to the voting process." Minister for housing and local government, James Browne, said his department actively seeks to facilitate the attendance of observers at any election or referendum whenever such requests are received. Mr Browne said requests from Democracy Volunteers have been facilitated in the past, including the most recent general election. The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights undertook needs assessment missions in advance of the last four general elections, Mr Browne noted. However, on these occasions it did not deploy full election-related missions with the last full mission taking place ahead of the general election in March 2007. Responding to a question from People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, Mr Browne said there are no plans at present to amend electoral law regarding election observation. "The legislation is kept under ongoing review and my department will continue to engage with all organisations involved in observing elections with a view to facilitating any future requests to observe at Irish elections," said Mr Browne.

The Journal
6 hours ago
- The Journal
'I can't take it anymore': Elon Musk slams Trump-backed US spending plan
BILLIONAIRE AND FORMER Trump administration staff member Elon Musk has blasted a US spending plan, set to add $3tn (€2.68tn) to the country's budget deficit. It is the most-pointed criticism Musk has weighed against US President Donald Trump and comes days after he left his role as the de-facto head of the so-called 'Department of Government Efficiency', aimed at cutting back public expenditure. 'This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,' he wrote on his platform X. 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.' Trump's 'big, beautiful bill', which is still being debated among those in the US Congress, seeks to add trillions to the country's 'debt ceiling' – a mandated limit on the amount the country is allowed to borrow. This could potentially boost budget deficits and the national debt into the future. It also seeks to extend Trump's 2017 tax cuts and expand them to workers' tips, state pension cheques and overtime payments. Musk, who sat as a special advisor to Trump for the first five months of his term, focused largely on cutting back on areas of public spending which he deemed excessive – setting the goal to reduce $2tn (€1.8tn). Advertisement DOGE failed to meet this goal, which Musk was criticised when stepping away from the Trump administration just days ago. Today, the billionaire said American politicians would 'bankrupt' the country if they approved the bill. 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore,' the world's richest man said, before added that the spending bill would 'burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt'. I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 3, 2025 The White House says the spending plan will lead to robust economic growth, despite the potential that it will further increase America's already burgeoning debt pile, which has ballooned to $36.9tn (€32.5tn). The President's press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump 'already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill, it doesn't change his opinion'. 'This is one big, beautiful bill, and he's sticking to it,' she said. With reporting by AFP Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal