Latest news with #StPatrick'sDay
Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Value of Stormont Executive's office in Beijing questioned
The chair of the Assembly's scrutiny committee for the Executive Office suggested it cost around a quarter of a million pounds a year to run the office in Beijing. The Executive also has offices in Washington DC and Brussels. It has had a presence in Beijing since 2014, before then-first minister Arlene Foster opened an Executive bureau in December 2016. Executive Committee chair Paula Bradshaw said she had concerns around its value for money, after the committee heard from the three bureaux during a meeting last month. Executive Office official Brenda Henderson said she appreciated there is frustration around transparency and accounting for what they do. 'One of the things that I want to do is to get that coherency across all three bureaux and with the international relations team in Belfast to make sure that we have a clear narrative, that our communications plans can let you see, and let our ministers see, exactly who we're meeting, what is the outcome of that, what does it mean, the 'so what' question in terms of the Programme For Government,' she told MLAs. 'Work is already under way on that.' Ms Bradshaw followed up by asking at what point would they conclude it is not value for money, and that they could be doing other things with that money. Ms Henderson said there are different ways to measure value for money. 'One of the things that I know that the overseas offices do is that they build relationships, you have to build those relationships before you utilise them, but there are things about companies, investment, increased student places they bring,' she said. 'I think what we need to do is be more absolutely transparent about that and be clear about the metrics, what we can measure and that we stand in front of those.' Permanent Secretary David Malcolm said he can 'see behind the curtain', and knows what the Beijing office is doing, He expressed frustration it was not communicated. He said last month the vice minister for education in China visited Northern Ireland and signed an agreement with the Confucious Institute in Belfast and the Department for the Economy for a £34 million programme over the next 10 years. He also said in Beijing this St Patrick's Day, there were two community organisations led by Chris Hazzard, including young people who had never left Ireland before. 'There is significant work we're doing,' he said. 'We are also talking to the Chinese Consul about a mini conference here later on,' he said. 'The Chinese have agreed to fund three placements in Beijing through the Arts Council to give people the opportunity to break into the Chinese market. There is a tremendous amount we're doing.' He added: 'Not just in Beijing, in Washington, we punch miles above our weight in the representational role we get, and indeed in Brussels.'
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Value of Stormont Executive's office in Beijing questioned
The Executive also has offices in Washington DC and Brussels. It has had a presence in Beijing since 2014, before then-first minister Arlene Foster opened an Executive bureau in December 2016. Executive Office chair Paula Bradshaw (Brian Lawless/PA) Executive Committee chair Paula Bradshaw said she had concerns around its value for money, after the committee heard from the three bureaux during a meeting last month. Executive Office official Brenda Henderson said she appreciated there is frustration around transparency and accounting for what they do. 'One of the things that I want to do is to get that coherency across all three bureaux and with the international relations team in Belfast to make sure that we have a clear narrative, that our communications plans can let you see, and let our ministers see, exactly who we're meeting, what is the outcome of that, what does it mean, the 'so what' question in terms of the Programme For Government,' she told MLAs. 'Work is already under way on that.' Ms Bradshaw followed up by asking at what point would they conclude it is not value for money, and that they could be doing other things with that money. Ms Henderson said there are different ways to measure value for money. 'One of the things that I know that the overseas offices do is that they build relationships, you have to build those relationships before you utilise them, but there are things about companies, investment, increased student places they bring,' she said. 'I think what we need to do is be more absolutely transparent about that and be clear about the metrics, what we can measure and that we stand in front of those.' Permanent Secretary David Malcolm said he can 'see behind the curtain', and knows what the Beijing office is doing, He expressed frustration it was not communicated. He said last month the vice minister for education in China visited Northern Ireland and signed an agreement with the Confucious Institute in Belfast and the Department for the Economy for a £34 million programme over the next 10 years. He also said in Beijing this St Patrick's Day, there were two community organisations led by Chris Hazzard, including young people who had never left Ireland before. 'There is significant work we're doing,' he said. 'We are also talking to the Chinese Consul about a mini conference here later on,' he said. 'The Chinese have agreed to fund three placements in Beijing through the Arts Council to give people the opportunity to break into the Chinese market. There is a tremendous amount we're doing.' He added: 'Not just in Beijing, in Washington, we punch miles above our weight in the representational role we get, and indeed in Brussels.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Value of Stormont Executive's office in Beijing questioned
The value for money of the Northern Ireland Executive's office in the Chinese capital has been questioned. The chair of the Assembly's scrutiny committee for the Executive Office suggested it cost around a quarter of a million pounds a year to run the office in Beijing. The Executive also has offices in Washington DC and Brussels. It has had a presence in Beijing since 2014, before then-first minister Arlene Foster opened an Executive bureau in December 2016. Executive Committee chair Paula Bradshaw said she had concerns around its value for money, after the committee heard from the three bureaux during a meeting last month. Executive Office official Brenda Henderson said she appreciated there is frustration around transparency and accounting for what they do. 'One of the things that I want to do is to get that coherency across all three bureaux and with the international relations team in Belfast to make sure that we have a clear narrative, that our communications plans can let you see, and let our ministers see, exactly who we're meeting, what is the outcome of that, what does it mean, the 'so what' question in terms of the Programme For Government,' she told MLAs. 'Work is already under way on that.' Ms Bradshaw followed up by asking at what point would they conclude it is not value for money, and that they could be doing other things with that money. Ms Henderson said there are different ways to measure value for money. 'One of the things that I know that the overseas offices do is that they build relationships, you have to build those relationships before you utilise them, but there are things about companies, investment, increased student places they bring,' she said. 'I think what we need to do is be more absolutely transparent about that and be clear about the metrics, what we can measure and that we stand in front of those.' Permanent Secretary David Malcolm said he can 'see behind the curtain', and knows what the Beijing office is doing, He expressed frustration it was not communicated. He said last month the vice minister for education in China visited Northern Ireland and signed an agreement with the Confucious Institute in Belfast and the Department for the Economy for a £34 million programme over the next 10 years. He also said in Beijing this St Patrick's Day, there were two community organisations led by Chris Hazzard, including young people who had never left Ireland before. 'There is significant work we're doing,' he said. 'We are also talking to the Chinese Consul about a mini conference here later on,' he said. 'The Chinese have agreed to fund three placements in Beijing through the Arts Council to give people the opportunity to break into the Chinese market. There is a tremendous amount we're doing.' He added: 'Not just in Beijing, in Washington, we punch miles above our weight in the representational role we get, and indeed in Brussels.'
Sunday World
a day ago
- General
- Sunday World
Dublin TD says traffic cameras should be used to crack down on crime
Dublin has one Garda CCTV camera per 6,000 people A Dublin TD has said that traffic cameras should be used as a tool to crack down on crime. James Geoghegan, a Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay South, told Lunchtime Live on Newstalk that he believes Gardaí should have access to traffic cameras. 'We've just 200 CCTV cameras in Dublin city,' he said. 'Even just to compare that to, say, the amount of traffic cameras that Dublin City Council have - they have about 400. A protected security camera seen in Dublin's City Center News in 90 June 4th 'We could make the legislation easier so that Guards could have better access to these 400 traffic cameras that are out there. 'But I also invest and make it easier for CCTV cameras to be put in areas where local people… have identified incidences of antisocial behaviour or crime,' he continued. 'The same way people feel safer when they see Gardaí on the street, it would make people feel safer if they had a few more cameras.' Deputy Geoghan said that if Gardai had more live 'operational oversight,' it would make Dublin a safer city. 'What we're really talking about here is live availability,' he said. 'I would have been in Pearse Street Garda Station where they have live operational cameras on the main thoroughfares streets, so they can respond instantly to issues as they arise. '[People] will be very familiar with CCTV cameras on private premises, and Guards can access those cameras after the event. He believes live access to traffic cameras will also act as a deterrent to crime. 'One of the most common complaints you'll receive when you're talking to business, both in the city centre or in any of the towns or village that politicians represent, is the absence of CCTV to catch someone who has, let's say, perpetrated a shoplifting or carried out an incident,' he explained. 'But also, to act as a deterrent, when we do big major events live in the city, let's say St Patrick's Day or the US college football, you do bring in temporarily increased numbers of CCTV. 'There is a reduction in crime, all the businesses will tell you that around the areas they're in.' Geoghan previously criticised a lack of cameras in the city, after it was revealed there was one Garda CCTV camera for every 6,000 people in Dublin. Meanwhile, according to research by Comparitech, London has 14 per 1,000 people, Berlin has 13 per 1,000 and both Paris and Rome have four per 1,000.
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Business
- 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'.
