Latest news with #ChristopherOSullivan
Irish Independent
24-07-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
The Model achieves Heritage Council accreditation for its outstanding collection care and public engagement
MSPI is an accreditation programme that supports museums and cultural heritage collections across Ireland to achieve and maintain the highest standards in how they are managed, how they care for their collections, and how they engage with the public. It supports both large and small institutions – from volunteer-run local museums to national cultural institutions – to build strong foundations in governance, collection care, exhibitions, education and visitor services. Of particular note is The Model - Home of The Niland Collection, which has achieved Full Accreditation for the first time – the highest level of recognition available through the programme. The museum has demonstrated diligence for its outstanding collection care and public engagement, especially in how it brings important Irish art to life for both local and national audiences. Since it began in 2006 with just a handful of participants, MSPI has grown into a nationwide programme supporting nearly 70 museum sites. Museums work over a number of years to meet 32 professional standards and are assessed through a rigorous, independent process. This year, 11 museums are being recognised for achieving accreditation through the MSPI programme. Their hard work and dedication highlight the importance of protecting and sharing Ireland's rich heritage. Each museum has undergone a detailed assessment to show how they meet the required standards and how they serve their communities, visitors, and collections. Launching the ceremony in Kilkenny Castle, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O Sullivan TD, said: 'It is an honour for me to open today's Museum Standards Programme for Ireland accreditation awards ceremony and to celebrate the incredible impact that our museums, galleries and historic objects and places make across the country. "The diligent care and attention demonstrated by the 11 accredited museums to protect our heritage, and the interpretation they have curated to enable our heritage to be better and more easily understood, is commendable. The achievements of these museums prove that we can hold our heads high with the best in the world, confident that we are professional, thorough, knowledgeable and ambitious for our cultural heritage institutions.' Addressing the accredited museums today Chair of the Heritage Council, Martina Moloney, said: 'Museums and cultural heritage collections play a profound role in our national conversation. Cultural heritage collections and the audiences they serve are a fundamental focus of MSPI and professional standards are a vehicle through which we can insure these values. "The work done by our accredited museums is invaluable in upholding these standards. The Heritage Council will continue to do everything it can to create the conditions for cultural heritage collections, museums, galleries and heritage sites to evolve and thrive.' Meanwhile, CEO of the Heritage Council, Virginia Teehan, added: 'I would like to commend all the accredited museums in 2025 for the focus they demonstrate, day in and day out, on engaging communities with societal issues, both contemporary and historical, via their collections and organisations. We appreciate the work that these museums do and the profound capacity for impact that our museums and cultural heritage organisations represent. On behalf of the Heritage Council, I want to congratulate to all 11 organisations receiving their accreditation today.' Looking ahead, the Heritage Council is committed to ensuring that MSPI continues to meet the evolving needs of the museum sector. Over the next 12 months, the programme will undergo a series of improvements, including updating the standards to reflect contemporary best practices, modernising the programme's operations to improve communication and support, and streamlining the application process to allow even more museums across Ireland to benefit from the programme.
Irish Times
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Ban on inshore fishing of sprat to protect whales, birdlife and other sea mammals
The Government is introducing a de facto ban on industrial overfishing of sprat in Irish inshore waters in a move aimed at addressing changing migratory patterns of whales and dolphins as well as marine biodiversity loss. From October 1st vessels of more than 18m in length fishing for sprat within the six nautical mile zone will require authorisation and be subjected to a quota limit of 2,000 tonnes. This marks a significant change in management of Ireland's inshore fisheries, with the aim of protecting sensitive marine habitats and supporting the sustainability of key species, including sprat. Sprat are small fish indigenous to Ireland and a rich protein source for whales but also other cetaceans and seabirds. They dominate the inshore coastline in the Celtic Sea at shallow depths, making them especially vulnerable when trawlers fish for them at spawning stage from October on, with no limits on catch. READ MORE The move coincides with reports of fewer sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises off the southwest coast, which is damaging ecotourism. [ 'It's an empty, lifeless sea': Whales leave Cork waters, putting watchers out of business Opens in new window ] Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O'Sullivan welcomed the Government's new policy directive. 'This is a step forward for Ireland's marine environment and for the future of our marine wildlife. For too long, industrial overfishing of sprat has threatened the very foundation of our marine food web, putting whales, dolphins, and our much-loved seabirds like puffins and kittiwakes at risk,' Mr O'Sullivan said. [ Ireland to ratify high seas treaty and scale-up marine-protected areas, Taoiseach tells UN summit Opens in new window ] 'The measures agreed today, which amount to a de facto ban on industrial trawling of sprat in our inshore waters, are the result of an extensive public consultation process and careful consideration of the best available scientific advice.' Sprat, a small but vital forage fish, is the lifeblood of Ireland's marine ecosystem, Mr O'Sullivan said. 'The collapse of sprat stocks would have devastating consequences [for species], which are already in steep decline due to food shortages and habitat loss.' This decision also ensured inshore waters were protected for smaller fishing vessels and recreational fishers. In 2019 government efforts to introduce a ban were successfully challenged in the courts. In 2024 a public consultation invited views on introducing the ban again. It attracted more than 5,500 submissions.
BreakingNews.ie
29-06-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Government has ‘thrown the kitchen sink' at homeless crisis
The Government has 'thrown the kitchen sink' at the homeless crisis in Ireland in an attempt to address it, a minister of state has said. Christopher O'Sullivan said that it has been a really 'difficult challenge to tackle', but that it is a priority for the Minister for Housing. Advertisement His comments come as the latest figures show there are almost 5,000 homeless children in Ireland. Figures released on Friday show that homelessness reached another record high. The data shows 15,747 people are now in emergency accommodation during the last week of May, some 10,903 of whom are adults and 4,844 children. This is an increase on the 15,418 people, 4,675 of whom were children, recorded in May. Advertisement Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon said the impact of living in emergency accommodation will be lifelong for children. Last week, Children's ombudsman Dr Niall Muldoon said that Government's housing initiatives continuously fail children. Mr O'Sullivan told RTÉ's The Week In Politics programme: 'The figures at the moment, they're not acceptable, and I don't think anyone is saying for one second that they are. 'The Government is acutely aware that there is a housing crisis, and there is a significant issue with homelessness, which we're trying to tackle. Advertisement 'Obviously, we're particularly struck by the words of the Children's ombudsman, essentially highlighting the devastating impact that emergency accommodation and homelessness in general is having on children and the long term impacts. 'This is a really, a really difficult challenge to tackle. 'That's been proven over the last number of years, and we have thrown the kitchen sink (at) it, but I will say this, there's no doubt that it's a priority for Taoiseach, it's a priority for this government. 'Working with (housing minister) James Browne, I'm in the Department of Housing as Minister of State, I know that this is a priority for him. Advertisement 'These stories, these, I suppose, testimonies I know motivate him. 'They motivate him to make change. 'They motivate made him to make a difference on homelessness. 'That is why the very first piece of legislation that Minister James Browne introduced in the House was around preventing homelessness.' Advertisement Mr Gannon, who has also backed a redress scheme for children living in emergency accommodation, said there is too much reliance on the private model. He added: 'For those children who are living in those substandard hotel accommodation, (that is) being paid for by the taxpayer. 'The impacts that they're having on their lives, be that through the inability to be just playing in the area, the therapeutic sports that's going to be needed, the lifelong consequences, that will also be funded by the taxpayer.' 'The impact this is having with children's lives is going on now for a decade. 'We know the impacts in terms of speech and language, an inability to play, mobility issues. 'Look, we need to be zoning land as affordable. We need to have the state getting back and building in a massive, significant way. 'We also need to take a step back and understand the impact that these living provisions are having children in this state.' Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane told the programme the Government should first use the thousands of empty council homes across the country. 'We need to get them turned around, and we need to get families into them,' she added. 'We need to look at those derelict properties, particularly in our rural areas. 'They're in every town and village. 'And we need to look at quick wins in terms of turning these buildings around, that we can provide immediate homes for people as quickly as possible.'
Irish Times
18-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Rent Pressure Zones could be in place across country by Friday, Dáil told
An emergency law to extend Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) to the entire country could be in place by Friday if the President signs the legislation immediately after the Oireachtas passes it, the Dáil has heard. Minister of State for Housing Christopher O'Sullivan said the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill is an 'immediate and concrete protection against high rent inflation'. The controversial legislation is being rushed through both Houses replacing scheduled proceedings as an interim measure to 'quickly protect all tenants from high rent increases'. The Opposition supported the legislation, despite intense criticism of the Government's 'ramshackle, haphazard' and 'back-of-the-envelope' reform proposals. READ MORE [ Thousands of holiday lets will need planning permission due to Rent Pressure Zone changes Opens in new window ] The legislation was passed in the Dáil on Wednesday and goes to the Seanad on Thursday. Mr O'Sullivan said that 'from the day after the passing of this Bill' with 'enactment by President Higgins ' no rent increase across the country can exceed 2 per cent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower, with certain exceptions. 'This is an immediate and concrete protection against high rent inflation,' he said. 'We want to provide certainty, clarity and stability for the rental sector,' he said. The new policy measures announced last week to apply from next March aim to boost investment in the supply of homes. Legislation will be introduced later this year to give effect to reforms announced last week which will apply from March 2026 when rents for new tenancies can be set at market value. But Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin described the Government's proposals as an 'utter shambles' and 'an assault on renters' who will be the losers. He hit out at the 'haphazard, ramshackle, back-of-the-envelope process' for widespread reforms that will affect 'tens of thousands of people'. Mr Ó Broin said that 'in the best-case scenario' there will only be 'a modest increase in the levels of institutional investment in high-end, high-cost, private rental cost developments'. 'The consequence of this is that renters everywhere will pay a cost,' because '80 per cent of current renters are in tenancies of six months or less' and 'the idea that somehow existing renters are protected is simply not true'. Labour spokesman Conor Sheehan who called for a two-year rent freeze, said the Government's measures 'will, in the round, cause rents to increase again'. The proposals last week 'very nearly caused a run on the rental market'. He added it is 'very clear what the priority is here because investors will not be negatively impacted by these changes but renters will'. Under the proposals 'we will return to a situation in this country whereby people will be evicted from their properties because they cannot pay the rent'. Social Democrats spokesman Rory Hearne said it is 'quite a cruel move' to give renters the RPZ for six or seven months 'and then rip it away from them', next March. When their tenancy ends or the landlord decides to sell the property in six years' time 'they will face market rents and a rental system and a housing market that will be even more unaffordable'. He said 'the Government is taking a gamble, but it is gambling with renters' lives, betting on the likelihood that the free market and the investor funds will come through for renters'. Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman called on the Minister to tie rent caps to the property and not just to the lease. In this way 'students returning to the same room are not charged new market rent each year'. There should be a legal definition for student tenancy 'allowing academic year leases to be regulated in line with their unique situation'. These are not 'radical asks' but 'practical adjustments that would make this legislation better'.
The Guardian
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Irish whale-watching company ends tours on south Atlantic coast and blames overfishing
A whale-watching company has abandoned tours off Ireland's southern Atlantic coast and declared the waters an empty, lifeless sea. Colin Barnes, who ran Cork Whale Watch, announced he was closing the company because overfishing of sprat has disrupted the marine food chain and diverted humpback, minke and fin whales as well as dolphins. 'Sadly, our world-class whale watching is now a thing of the past,' Barnes said in a post this week. 'A small number of greedy fishermen with huge trawlers have overfished the sprats to the point of near extinction. There is nothing left for the whales to prey upon so they have moved on in search of prey elsewhere.' The company, based in the coastal village of Unionhall, also known as Union Hall, had thrived for most of its 25 years, but only a few minke whales and small groups of dolphins now appeared in its search area, he said. 'Over the last couple of years our trips have become totally disappointing. In this light I am truly sad to say we are closing down for good.' The announcement prompted a public outcry and a promise from the government to do more to protect fish stocks and marine biodiversity. 'We have to introduce measures to protect this forage species – not just for whales, but for all the other fish stocks and wildlife that depend on it – to prevent the collapse of an entire food web,' Christopher O'Sullivan, the minister responsible for nature and biodiversity, told the Irish Examiner. He said he hoped Ireland would emulate UK curbs on sprat fishing, which were having a positive effect. Demand for fishmeal from fish farms has dramatically increased the fishing of sprats, a small, sardine-like fish that plays a crucial role in the maritime food chain. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Mark Gannon, who runs Atlantic Whale and Wildlife Tours from Courtmacsherry, 22 miles east of Unionhall, said the number of whales and dolphins had plummeted since large trawlers began scooping up sprat. 'It's a devastating form of fishing. It's like a farmer taking all the grass out of his fields and expecting his cows to thrive.' However, Gannon said he had invested in a new boat and still offered enthralling excursions, albeit with less wildlife. 'Just today we saw three minke whales,' he said on Friday after a tour. 'Compared to the numbers we had before it's chalk and cheese, but we still have a beautiful coastline. With the right policies, the south of Cork and the west coast of Ireland could be the European capital of marine tourism.' His wife and company co-owner, Trish Gannon, said bookings remained strong. 'I tell people we can guarantee absolutely nothing in terms of sightings and they're still happy to go out.' Patrick Murphy, the chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producer's Organisation, said warming waters appeared to be pushing sprat further west and north – where sprat catches have risen sharply – and this accounted for the dwindling whale sightings off Cork. 'We are asking for a proper scientific assessment for this species, so a proper management policy can be developed to ensure the continued sustainability of this important fishery,' he said.
