Conor O'Carroll

Hundreds of old landfills left in limbo despite risk of leaking toxic waste into waterways The Journal Investigates reveals the failures by local authorities and the Environmental Protection Agency to keep historic landfills safe.

Just 10% of Ireland’s historic landfills have been certified over 15 years since the regulations were introduced.

It means that hundreds of these old landfills have been left in limbo despite a risk of leaking toxic waste into waterways.

'Department of Infastructure' sign was installed on Kildare St after civil servants noticed typo The sign was later replaced by the supplier at no extra cost to the Department.

Officials at the Department of Public Expenditure spotted the typo in the new sign displayed on Merrion Street over a month before it was installed in front of the department headquarters.

The sign included an incorrect spelling of ‘infrastructure’.

jrnl.ie/6888851

ChatGPT, a €400 bar tab and an Apple laptop: What did candidates expense at the last election? The Journal Investigates looked at some of the more unusual expenses from candidates in the general election.

ChatGPT, an Apple laptop and a €400 bar tab – these are just some of the more unusual election expenses listed on candidates’ returns after the general election.

Others spent hundreds on branded clothing, car wraps and keyrings in a bid to win voters.

www.thejournal.ie/investigates...

A screenshot of an upcoming story on The Journal. The headline reads 'Parents face huge fee increases as over 50 childcare providers withdraw from government scheme'.

Coming just after midnight, a new investigation for @investigates.thejournal.ie looking at soaring childcare fees.

One provider in Dublin increased full-time fees from €190 to €300 a week after leaving the government's Core Funding scheme ahead of the new school year.

Out soon on thejournal.ie

Irish aircraft leasing company to buy 20 planes from Israeli weapons supplier linked to Gaza war State-owned Israel Aerospace Industries has close ties with the Israeli Defence Forces and is selling converted planes to Irish-based AerCap.

An Irish-based aircraft leasing company is to buy 20 new cargo planes from an Israeli aviation and defence company with ties to the war in Gaza.

Israel Aerospace Industries, which is converting the plane, has close ties with the Israeli Defence Forces.

http://jrnl.ie/6814840

A screenshot of an upcoming article on The Journal. The headline reads 'Irish aircraft leasing company to buy 20 planes from Israeli weapons supplier linked to Gaza war'

Coming up just after midnight, @conorocarroll.bsky.social reports on an Irish-based aircraft leasing company buying cargo planes from an Israeli weapons supplier with close ties with the Israeli Defence Forces and the war in Gaza.

Staggering it was even published at all, especially considering the original source. Maybe not surprising from some outlets but NYT ran it as 'unverified'...so like, don't publish it then???

A screenshot showing an extreme high temperature warning in Seville, Spain. The current temperature is 44°

Irish people are not made for this heat☀️

Trans women facing confusion over their eligibility under the free HRT scheme The Irish Pharmacy Union has said they are seeking clarity from the Department of Health on the issue

I spoke to several trans women who described the confusion they are facing over their eligibility under the free HRT scheme.

The legislation isn't clear, and the Department haven't provided a clear answer.

One person I spoke to said "we are used to fighting for everything".

jrnl.ie/6783895

Trans women facing confusion over their eligibility under the free HRT scheme The Irish Pharmacy Union has said they are seeking clarity from the Department of Health on the issue

I spoke to several trans women who described the confusion they are facing over their eligibility under the free HRT scheme.

The legislation isn't clear, and the Department haven't provided a clear answer.

One person I spoke to said "we are used to fighting for everything".

jrnl.ie/6783895

Vapes posing as ‘nicotine free’ found to contain nicotine Illegal vapes are commonly found in shops across the country – what does that mean for our health?

Three types of vapes labelled as ‘nicotine free’ for sale in shops across the country did in fact contain nicotine following HSE inspections and testing.

Health experts say that using these products could lead to an unintended nicotine addiction.

http://jrnl.ie/6772521

Thousands of illegal vapes seized from shops by HSE over the past year This included ‘nicotine-free’ vapes which, when tested, contained the addictive drug.

New: Over 3,500 vapes have been seized from shops by the HSE for breaching regulations since the start of 2024, new figures show.

Breaches included 'nicotine-free' vapes that contained the addictive drug.

http://jrnl.ie/6772504

‘I won’t work alone with certain colleagues’: Female paramedics break silence on 'toxic' culture Staff told The Journal Investigates they feel that there is an ‘unsafe culture’ within the National Ambulance Service.

‘I won’t work alone with certain colleagues’: Female paramedics tell @trishdevlin.bsky.social they feel there is an ‘unsafe culture’ within the National Ambulance Service.

Read our latest investigation ⬇️
http://www.thejournal.ie/national-ambulance-service-female-paramedics-6748778-Jul2025/

Nitrous oxide canisters littering streets and parks 'sparking curiosity' in children Experts say the are ‘everywhere’. What should you do if you find one?

Discarded canisters of nitrous oxide, used by teens and young people for short highs, have become a common sight littering many public areas in recent years.

But for young children, these bright colourful tubes are “sparking curiosity”.

http://jrnl.ie/6738579

‘Devastating’ nitrous oxide available to buy on popular Irish websites Our investigative team found the psychedelic drug on Amazon and classified sites.

Inhaling nitrous oxide delivers a short-lived high but can also result in life-altering health impacts, including paralysis and suffocation.

Health and drug experts told us they were very concerned that canisters of the drug could be bought online.

http://jrnl.ie/6738494

In our latest investigation we reveal just how easy it is to find large canisters of nitrous oxide for sale online, with listings on online classified ad sites and even the Irish version of Amazon.

The drug is popular with teenagers and party goers despite the life altering impact it can have.

Acting Editor

Would you like to lead a team of reporters dedicated to lifting the lid on how Ireland works? Apply to become the Acting Editor of @investigates.thejournal.ie (full time for a year).

I'm biased but this is a really meaningful and enjoyable job. Shout if you've any questions!

Deadline: Fri 04 July

GALAS 2025 nominations open for awards honouring Ireland's LGBTQ+ community The nominations are now open for the GALAS 2025, Ireland’s most anticipated celebration of LGBTQ+ excellence!

Get nominating now! 🗳️✨
#GCNnews

The picture is a 'they're the same picture' meme from The Office TV show

👀

This page has the strategy and action plan! www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

I'll get them started.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT:

It'll make people happy.

Ends.

A screenshot from the Irish government's National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy II Action Plan 2025-2026. The screenshot reads Strategic Objective #42 Set up an interdepartmental working group to carry out an impact assessment on providing legal recognition for those who identify as non-binary.

This was a pleasant surprise from the government's National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy II Action Plan 2025-2026.

Please don't mess it up.

The Journal Investigates: Where are all the data centres and why should you care?

For those interested on how AI infrastructure is already having an impact in our environment I recommend the work done in the last months by @conorocarroll.bsky.social and @mariadelaney.ie at The Journal Investigates.

investigates.thejournal.ie/data-centres

Our team examined over 25 years of planning records to pinpoint Ireland’s data centres.

Explore the interactive, visual investigation to see where they are located: https://investigates.thejournal.ie/data-centres

Reporter @conorocarroll.bsky.social explains how we mapped - for the first time - all operating and planned data centres in Ireland.

Examining over 25 years of planning records, we found 89 data centres, with a further 40 in development.

Yes, I really did go through 25 years of planning records.

Explore our interactive, visual investigation so you don't have to and find out where Ireland's data centres are located.

investigates.thejournal.ie/data-centres

Ireland's data centres turning to fossil fuels after maxing out country's electricity grid Climate-impacting emissions are being released from data centres using off-grid generators.

This builds on our investigation from last year that found data centres using backup and emergency generators in Ireland are releasing huge quantities of carbon dioxide emissions.

jrnl.ie/6554698t

The image features a preview of an upcoming article on The Journal. The headline reads Where are all the data centres and why should you care?

Coming just after midnight tonight...something a bit different, but very cool!

An interactive, visual investigation that maps - for the first time - all operating and planned data centres in Ireland.

Out soon on thejournal.ie

Majority of councils miss farm inspection targets vital for water protection The Journal Investigates found a significant level of non-compliance in the first year of farm slurry inspection targets set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Our investigation into slurry farm inspections has made a splash across local news and radio.

Reporter @conorocarroll.bsky.social has been hitting the airwaves across the country talking about how more than half of local authorities failed to meet farm inspection targets.

jrnl.ie/6712151

Majority of councils miss farm inspection targets vital for water protection The Journal Investigates found a significant level of non-compliance in the first year of farm slurry inspection targets set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

More than half of local authorities failed to meet farm inspection targets for slurry spreading and management.

It was the first year farm slurry inspection targets were set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

http://jrnl.ie/6712151