The FOI Files: The year-long battle for records on Ireland’s promised Wildlife Crime Unit www.thejournal.ie/wildlife-cri...

http://www.thejournal.ie/wildlife-crime-unit-ireland-7135559-Aug2026/

thejournal.ie

Tusla has admitted it can't say how many foster carers have been removed from the role in recent years due to a complaint or an allegation:

Tusla can't say how many foster carers were removed due to complaints or allegations

Data is not centrally collated and the initial figure was deemed an “overcount”.

thejournal.ie

The FOI Files: Why won’t the Department of Equality release a two-year-old report on expanding gender recognition? The Department paid €35,000 for this report but won't release it because they're still 'deliberating' on its findings two years later. jrnl.ie/7147325

Why won’t the Department of Equality release a two-year-old report on expanding gender recognition?

The report was completed in 2024, but has never been released.

jrnl.ie

Some seaweed harvesters are claiming they work for certain companies, but when regulators later check whether this is true, the companies in question strongly deny any knowledge. This has left little scope for enforcement action. jrnl.ie/7138346t

Maritime regulator investigating multiple claims of illegal seaweed harvesting in protected areas

The Journal Investigates found that MARA, the maritime regulator, is investigating multiple claims but is struggling to determine who is responsible.

jrnl.ie

Just four companies have submitted 12 applications to harvest seaweed along Ireland's coast as the global industry booms. They plan to harvest 51,000 wet tonnes of seaweed every year if approved by the maritime regulator. jrnl.ie/7138438t

Who's behind the seaweed harvesting applications covering over 14,000 hectares of Ireland's coastline?

Four companies are seeking to harvest almost 51,000 wet tonnes of seaweed a year from Ireland’s coast.

jrnl.ie

Multiple claims of illegal seaweed harvesting are being investigated by the maritime regulator. But difficulties catching harvesters in the act to verify whether they hold the correct licence have left them struggling to determine who is responsible. jrnl.ie/7138346t

Maritime regulator investigating multiple claims of illegal seaweed harvesting in protected areas

The Journal Investigates found that MARA, the maritime regulator, is investigating multiple claims but is struggling to determine who is responsible.

jrnl.ie

The FOI Files: How Dublin City Council discovered the diesel leak in the Liffey. The released records show that it was a Dublin City Council official who first raised the alarm, having spotted the leak in the river some 2km from the source. www.thejournal.ie/the-foi-file...

The FOI Files: How Dublin City Council discovered the diesel leak in the Liffey

The records show the leak spread some 2km from the Samuel Beckett Bridge before being spotted.

thejournal.ie

More than 14,000 hectares of Ireland’s coastline have been proposed for seaweed harvesting, with 12 applications submitted to the maritime regulator. But which companies are behind these applications, and how much do they plan to harvest? jrnl.ie/7138438t

MARA says it is investigating several complaints related to seaweed harvesting, but has found identifying who's responsible challenging. Some incidents have also "threatened to become confrontational”, including some directed towards NPWS staff. jrnl.ie/7138346t

Maritime regulator investigating multiple claims of illegal seaweed harvesting in protected areas

The Journal Investigates found that MARA, the maritime regulator, is investigating multiple claims but is struggling to determine who is responsible.

jrnl.ie

The maritime regulator is investigating multiple claims that illegal seaweed harvesting is taking place in special areas of conservation, a new investigation can reveal. jrnl.ie/7138346t

Maritime regulator investigating multiple claims of illegal seaweed harvesting in protected areas

The Journal Investigates found that MARA, the maritime regulator, is investigating multiple claims but is struggling to determine who is responsible.

jrnl.ie

Tonight, a new investigation reveals how MARA, the maritime regulator, is investigating multiple claims of illegal seaweed harvesting in protected areas. But the regulator is struggling to determine who is responsible, leaving little enforcement action. Read on thejournal.ie just after midnight

The FOI Files: Sixteen hares hit by dogs. One greyhound euthanised. A “clerical error” recording 10 dead hares. All revealed in four DAFM inspection reports. www.thejournal.ie/hare-coursin...

https://www.thejournal.ie/hare-coursing-inspections-7120798-Aug2026/

thejournal.ie

The FOI Files: Why the Department of Foreign Affairs won’t release details of its lobby meetings with Amazon jrnl.ie/7114508

The use of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) is rising significantly, with doctors warning that they can't always be detected by routine hospital drug tests. A new pilot early warning system is already in operation to identify novel substances. jrnl.ie/7122828

A Europe-wide investigation by The Journal and others into how more than 5,000 women have to travel abroad each year for abortion care has been shortlisted for a prestigious IJ4EU Impact Award. uncovered.ij4.eu/impact-award...

Pregnant women receive six hospital & GP visits over the course of their pregnancy. But after the baby is born, the level of support falls away dramatically. Our investigative team would like to hear about your experiences of post-natal care in Ireland. jrnl.ie/7118604

Have you experienced any mental health challenges after birth? We want to hear your stories

Supports for women fall away dramatically after giving birth – we want to know what impact this is having

jrnl.ie

Timing is everything - sometimes even with Freedom of Information requests. The latest edition of The FOI Files from the team at The Journal Investigates outlines just how quirks of the calendar can be your friend - or your enemy: www.thejournal.ie/time-of-deci...

Pregnant women receive six hospital & GP visits over the course of their pregnancy. But after the baby is born, the level of support falls away dramatically. Our investigative team would like to hear about your experiences of post-natal care in Ireland. jrnl.ie/7118604

Have you experienced any mental health challenges after birth? We want to hear your stories

Supports for women fall away dramatically after giving birth – we want to know what impact this is having

jrnl.ie

The FOI Files: How one question that revealed child in State care went missing 274 times in a year.

The question that revealed child in State care went missing 274 times in a year

Tusla records not only revealed almost 7,000 missing from care incidents but also how one child had been reported missing 274 times in 12 months while in State care.

thejournal.ie

Almost 17,000 hectares of wildfire damage in last 10 years overlapped Natura 2000 protected sites in Ireland, our latest investigation has found. READ:

Ireland has one of Europe’s highest rates of wildfire overlap with protected nature sites

Following a spate of devastating wildfires, analysis has found that more than half of the land burned here over the past decade overlapped with protected nature areas – significantly higher than the...

jrnl.ie

Ireland may not have experienced Europe's 'mega fires' but analysis carried out alongside The Journal Investigates has found that it has one of the highest rates of wildfire overlap on protected areas in the EU. READ:

Ireland has one of Europe’s highest rates of wildfire overlap with protected nature sites

Following a spate of devastating wildfires, analysis has found that more than half of the land burned here over the past decade overlapped with protected nature areas – significantly higher than the...

jrnl.ie

NEW INVESTIGATION: Despite escaping the 'mega fires' seen in countries such as Spain and Greece, Ireland actually has one of Europe’s highest rates of wildfire overlap with protected nature sites, we can reveal

Ireland has one of Europe’s highest rates of wildfire overlap with protected nature sites

Following a spate of devastating wildfires, analysis has found that more than half of the land burned here over the past decade overlapped with protected nature areas – significantly higher than the...

jrnl.ie

Ireland's largest data centres used close to one billion litres of water last year, a new investigation has found. But the findings also show how the pharmaceutical industry uses far more. jrnl.ie/7110966

Data centres used almost one billion litres of water last year, but another industry used far more

The Journal Investigates found that while data centres use huge quantities of water every year, pharmaceutical companies often use a lot more.

jrnl.ie

Meta's data centre campus in Meath and an Equinix campus in Dublin were by far the highest water users for data centres last year. The two campuses of eight data centres used over 954 million litres of water between them. jrnl.ie/7110966

Data centres used almost one billion litres of water last year, but another industry used far more

The Journal Investigates found that while data centres use huge quantities of water every year, pharmaceutical companies often use a lot more.

jrnl.ie

Though data centres used enough water to fill 400 Olympic swimming pools last year, the figures pale in comparison to other sectors of the economy. Six pharma plants used two billion litres last year, while the Aughinish Alumina plant in Limerick used over five billion litres. jrnl.ie/7110966

Data centres used almost one billion litres of water last year, but another industry used far more

The Journal Investigates found that while data centres use huge quantities of water every year, pharmaceutical companies often use a lot more.

jrnl.ie

NEW: Data centres used almost one billion litres of water last year, but another industry used far more. Our investigation found that while data centres use huge quantities of water every year, pharmaceutical companies often use a lot more. jrnl.ie/7110966

Data centres used almost one billion litres of water last year, but another industry used far more

The Journal Investigates found that while data centres use huge quantities of water every year, pharmaceutical companies often use a lot more.

jrnl.ie

Tonight, a new investigation reveals how much water each individual data centre campus has used in the past two years. But our findings also show how pharma plants have used more than double that of data centres. Story w/ @davidmacredmond.bsky.social Read just after midnight on thejournal.ie 🔜

The FOI Files is a brand-new series from our team at The Journal Investigates. This week, we look at why the Department of Justice is failing to respond to FOI requests in a timely manner. One request submitted 8 months ago is still awaiting a decision. jrnl.ie/7092739

The FOI Files: Why the Department of Justice took 56 working days to find no records

A huge number of FOI requests is leading to long delays at the Department of Justice.

jrnl.ie

The waste industry is calling for nitrous oxide to be banned because canisters that end up in their machinery can explode, threatening worker safety. Up to 120 exploding canisters were recorded at one Irish waste facility over a recent two-week period. jrnl.ie/7084853

Thousands of nitrous oxide canisters are ending up at waste facilities amid warnings of explosions

An Irish waste facility recorded up to 120 exploding canisters over a recent two-week period.

jrnl.ie

More than 160,000 nitrous oxide canisters are ending up in waste facilities every year, causing problems for machinery and workers. A representative group said one Irish waste facility recorded up to 120 exploding canisters over a recent two-week period. jrnl.ie/7084853

Thousands of nitrous oxide canisters are ending up at waste facilities amid warnings of explosions

An Irish waste facility recorded up to 120 exploding canisters over a recent two-week period.

jrnl.ie