Ep2 - Planning Ahead - The Planning And Development Act 2024 (Podcast)

Ireland moves forward with legislation to implement the EU Deforestation Regulation, introducing supply chain due diligence requirements for commodities like cattle, cocoa, coffee, and wood. The draft bill aims to ensure products placed on the Irish market are certified as deforestation-free, with enforcement beginning in December 2026.

The Irish Government has published the General Scheme of the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill 2026, which would integrate marine protected area designation into Ireland's existing maritime spatial planning framework. This legislative proposal aims to protect 30% of Irish waters by 2030 while establishing new compliance obligations for public bodies and consultation mechanisms for stakeholders with maritime interests.

Ireland's Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2026 introduces significant reforms to judicial review procedures and planning law, while new EU packaging regulations and climate action consultations signal major environmental policy shifts. Key court decisions address wind turbine noise nuisance and water quality obligations under EU directives.

Ireland's Minister for Agriculture has published the draft General Scheme of the Deforestation and Forest Degradation Bill 2026, establishing the national enforcement framework for the EU Deforestation Regulation.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that appropriate assessments of plans or projects affecting special protection areas cannot be validly conducted without pre-established site-specific conservation objectives. This landmark judgment addresses whether conservation objectives are a prerequisite for environmental impact assessments under the Habitats Directive, with significant implications for development consent procedures across the EU.

Ireland's Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 introduces targeted reforms to EPA licensing processes, while legal challenges to the EU's Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive threaten a new extended producer responsibility model requiring pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturers to fund 80% of quaternary water treatment costs.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled on whether EU environmental information laws grant requesters a right to anonymity when making access requests.

The European Commission published guidance on adapting Natura 2000 sites to climate change on 25 March 2026. The guidance is directed to Member States, Natura 2000 site managers and environmental authorities.

The European Commission’s Grids Package has been welcomed by many in industry as a catalyst for accelerated grid delivery and reform.

With the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (“CBAM”) now entering its operational period, the European Commission...

The Pay Transparency Directive (Directive) aims to strengthen the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women and expands upon current Gender Pay Gap (GPG) reporting requirements. Pay transparency measures introduced by the Directive will empower workers to access information to challenge pay inequality within an organisation.

Under this Act, if an employee has an employment contract with a mandatory retirement age that is lower than the State pension age (currently 66) (State Pension Age), the employee has the right to notify their employer that they do not consent to retire at that earlier age. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has also updated its Code of Practice on Longer Working (Code) to reflect what employers and employees need to do under the Act.

The Insurance (Disregard of Certain Medical History and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 introduces sweeping changes to the Central Bank of Ireland's regulatory powers over insurers and reinsurers. Beyond the widely discussed "right to be forgotten" provisions for cancer survivors seeking mortgage protection, the legislation fundamentally expands the grounds on which the Central Bank can petition for winding-up orders and extends these powers to cover reinsurers for the first time.

This August 2026 edition of Funds Focus examines critical regulatory developments affecting asset management and investment funds, including the Central Bank of Ireland's...

The Irish High Court has ruled on whether a foreign judgment creditor can invoke Irish courts to recognize and enforce an overseas judgment, examining whether rights under aircraft leasing arrangements—including maintenance reserve reimbursement rights, lease deposits, and interests in Irish aviation structures—constitute assets for jurisdictional purposes.

Understanding Ireland's work and residence permissions system is crucial for employers hiring international talent. This video explores the requirements for third country nationals seeking employment in Ireland, covering employment permit categories, application prerequisites, and the essential steps employers must complete before bringing foreign workers onboard.

The Irish High Court has expanded the scope of Norwich Pharmacal Orders beyond traditional litigation contexts, ruling that RTÉ must disclose unedited undercover footage from nursing homes to support a regulatory investigation. This landmark decision addresses critical questions about when courts can compel third parties to provide information, the boundaries of journalistic material disclosure, and how privacy rights balance against urgent public interest in regulatory enforcement.

Ireland's examinership process provides a unique corporate rescue mechanism for international restructuring, offering automatic EU recognition, worldwide creditor moratorium, and cross-class cram down capabilities. This comprehensive guide examines how non-Irish companies can leverage examinership for complex cross-border restructurings, featuring case studies of major transactions including Norwegian Air, Mallinckrodt plc, and Weatherford, with comparative analysis against UK and US restructuring framework

When a worker raises a protected disclosure in Ireland, employers must follow specific legal procedures under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. This video outlines the critical steps organisations need to take, from establishing internal reporting channels to conducting proper investigations and avoiding criminal offences. Understanding these requirements is essential for maintaining compliance and protecting both whistleblowers and the organisation.

As the EU AI Act's Article 50 transparency obligations approach their 2 August 2026 enforcement date, organizations face critical requirements to disclose AI interactions, label deepfakes, and mark synthetic content. This session examines the practical implications of these transparency mandates, drawing on the European Commission's recently published Guidelines and Code of Practice to help stakeholders prepare for compliance.