John Moran changes his tune on lobbying as he runs for Limerick mayor

John Moran, an Unbiased candidate for the position of instantly elected mayor of Limerick within the June seventh election, has mentioned he’s stepping down from the board of Shannon Airport and the Limerick Financial Discussion board to keep away from any recommendations of a battle of curiosity as he campaigns for the highest job on the town. He has additionally stepped again from roles with native organisations together with the UL Basis, Habitable Limerick, Narrative 4 and the Hunt Museum.

“As secretary common of the Division of Finance, I launched new practices on this space to make sure better transparency, and I shall be doing likewise if elected as mayor,” Moran advised the Limerick Publish final week.

Moran added that Limerick ought to introduce “a tradition of transparency and integrity” much more “stringent than the principles imposed on candidates by the Authorities”.

Might this be the identical John Moran who, whereas working as a lobbyist for cab firm Uber, claimed particular entry to the then minister for finance, Michael Noonan, together with with the ability to drop paperwork into his home? On the time Uber even instructed that textual content it wrote was utilized in High-quality Gael’s February 2016 manifesto because of Moran’s lobbying marketing campaign.

Leaked information on the time confirmed some engagements by Moran weren’t listed within the Lobbying Register. The information additionally instructed that the corporate hoped that opening a base in Limerick would give it a chance to train “political leverage” and encourage the Authorities to “lean on” regulators and legislate for Uber to function in Eire.

Net Summit is selective about who it talks to

One organisation that has lengthy been conspicuous by its absence on the lobbying register is the Net Summit, with no document of any lobbying by the tech convention or its voluble co-founder, Paddy Cosgrave, because the register was established in September 2015. On the time of the register’s institution, Cosgrave was in common correspondence with the federal government over the ultimate convention to be held in Dublin in November 2015, complaining about every little thing from lodge prices to site visitors.

Whereas the tech convention subsequently moved to Lisbon, Cosgrave has ceaselessly spoken about having conferences with politicians and State companies within the intervening interval. A few of them had been even amicable. In August 2017 he spoke about attending a U2 live performance earlier that summer season with the brand new taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, earlier than their relationship soured, describing how the pair “spent a great deal of time chatting”.

In 2018 eyebrows had been raised when Cosgrave was afforded a personal assembly with John Concannon, the then head of the federal government’s Strategic Communications Unit, about its work. Cosgrave subsequently tweeted that he had been aware about the “wider plan” for what turned often known as Leo Varadkar’s spin unit.

Final yr journalist-turned-lobbyist Sebastian Hamilton joined the Net Summit as head of public affairs. His position is to steer the Net Summit’s “engagement with editors, journalists, media, policymakers, influencers and tech group leaders in Eire” however he has but to stand up to any lobbying, it appears. We requested him why the Net Summit had by no means been listed on the lobbying register. However reply got here there none.

Simon Harris, no lodger he

There’s a new taoiseach on the horizon nevertheless it doesn’t appear to be Steward’s Lodge, the four-bedroom home within the grounds of Farmleigh Home that was refurbished in 2006 to be used as a taoiseach’s residence, is to get a everlasting resident.

Simon Harris, who lives in Greystones along with his spouse, Caoimhe, and the couple’s two younger youngsters, has no plans to swap Wicklow for the Phoenix Park within the instant future, we hear. The home, which underwent a €600,000 improve in 2006 and additional enhancements lately, has been used sparingly by varied taoisigh over the previous 18 years. Bertie Ahern couldn’t be shifted out of Drumcondra, whereas Enda Kenny and Brian Cowen, each of whom had flats near Leinster Home, solely used it on a handful of events.

Leo Varadkar spent essentially the most time in the home, shifting in throughout one of many Covid-19 lockdowns, however he subsequently left to reside along with his companion Matt Barrett in Dublin 8. Leaving it empty throughout a housing disaster doesn’t ship a terrific message, though Harris, who has a three-year-old and a five-year-old, could select to spend the odd evening within the Victorian lodge, if solely to get a very good evening’s sleep.

Ubitricity pulls out of Eire

Extra dangerous information for EV drivers. Ubitricity, which has greater than 10,000 charging factors worldwide, has advised native authorities in Eire that it’s pulling in another country. The Shell-owned firm, which makes use of lamp-posts as charging factors and has greater than 7,000 charging factors within the UK, started a pilot programme with Fingal County Council in 2021, establishing a handful of charging factors in Malahide and Castleknock. However the firm lately advised Fingal and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, with whom it was additionally in talks a couple of pilot challenge, that it’s withdrawing from Eire.

Ronan tower divides opinion

Johnny Ronan’s plans to redevelop Citigroup’s HQ on North Wall Quay right into a 17-storey tower has obtained combined critiques. The Gaiety Faculty of Performing, which is hoping to get house for a instructing college within the improvement, has written to Dublin Metropolis Council praising the developer’s “excellence and innovation” however the residents of the close by Clarion Quay condominium scheme had been much less enthused.

The scheme’s administration firm, representing 186 flats, mentioned it was “shocked” by the tower’s “measurement and scale”, claiming Ronan has not thought-about the impact it could have on Clarion Quay’s 300 to 400 residents, together with 37 flats occupied by Dublin Metropolis Council tenants. In addition they questioned why a “absolutely functioning” constructing is being torn down.

In additional optimistic information for Ronan, Wicklow County Council has granted his daughter, Jodie, and her husband, John Savage, permission to increase the Goulding Summerhouse, a floating glass field on the river Dargle designed by Ronnie Tallon that has graced many architectural magazines, the place the couple and their youngsters plan to reside.

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