THE Freedom of Information Act (FoI) is too often clubbed on the head by state agencies and left comatose as far as smaller community groups are concerned.

Waste management firm Indaver has dropped an appeal against costs awarded against it following a legal action in which a judge said its behaviour amounted to an abuse of process.

A LONG-RUNNING plan by the Government to buy the Great Blasket island has run into difficulties yet again.

I agree with An Bord Pleanála’s refusal of permission for the new national children’s hospital. I am concerned with the overall proposed design of the building apart from the proposed location.

With the daily tribunal disclosures, it should hardly come as a surprise to people that our planning laws are developing into a farce.

The need to reduce our dependency on carbon-generated energy is one of the imperatives of our age.

The project, which was initially given the go-ahead earlier this year, would have seen 432 apartments and 104 houses built on lands at St Paul's College in Raheny.

A bingo operator has secured permission to operate out of a new premises in Ballyvolane despite objections by two leading sports clubs in Cork city.

Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons has weighed into the campaign against a plastics factory in Skibbereen, calling the plan a “hopeless misjudgement” and vowing to fight it.

A regional airport is said to be close to an agreement with a windfarm developer in relation to the cost of adjusting its technology to allow aircraft land safely.

HOUSEHOLDERS in Waterford should not be forced to endure higher refuse charges next year, a local TD has said.

Nama has been asked to clarify its position on a planning objection lodged by one of its client firms against a €50m Cork City office block which has the potential to deliver 2,000 jobs.

The company responsible for running Cork's ports today reported an increase in turnover for the year 2008 of 5.5% to €26.3m, with pre-tax profits of €4.1m.

The green light has been given for a combined heat and power plant (CHP) which is expected to create up to 35 full-time jobs in north Kerry when it becomes operational.

Ringaskiddy is to be opened up for major industrial investment after it was confirmed that plans to build a new motorway into it have been reactivated.

Despite guidelines in the Cork County Development Plan, council planners say around 50% of the county is still "open to consideration" as regards the erection of wind farms.

An Taisce has called for an independent regulator to be appointed to investigate the planning function of Dublin City Council.

TEARS were shed yesterday as members of a small community told how a landfill site has devastated their lives.