God be with the days when we used to go back to the shop with our empty bottles of Taylor Keith lemonade and get refunds. It may have been just a few pence for each bottle returned, but every little helped, and the extra coins could be used to supplement our pocket money so we could buy more sweets – or more red lemonade.

A recent opinion poll carried by Coastwatch Ireland found that many people from the over–40s bracket are nostalgic for the days when Ireland still had deposit–and–return schemes for drinks containers. It also found there is overwhelming public support for the return of the deposit and return.

Six local authorities are to be subject to new investigations for planning irregularities by independent planning consultants to be appointed by Minister of State for Planning Jan O’Sullivan.

Planning procedures and practices in Dublin and Cork city councils as well as Cork, Carlow, Galway and Meath county councils had been examined in an internal review by the Department of the Environment.

“I am determined to uphold the integrity of the planning system,” Ms O’Sullivan said. “It is vital that scrutiny and evaluation of the planning process is not only fair and objective, but is also seen to be so by the public.”

Klaus Balz and Hanna Heuback, of Bear No Gaoithe, Inchigeelagh, Co Cork, are opposed to a decision by An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission to Cleanrath Windfarm Ltd to construct 11 turbines up to heights of 126m and other structures including an 85m–high meteorological mast at Cleanrath, Co Cork.

The couple live and operate a shrubbery business just 650m from the nearest turbine on the proposed development.

Yesterday Eamon Galligan, for the applicants, told the High Court that in Jun 2011, Cork County Council refused to grant planning permission for the project.

Ms Bjørke Monsen referred to the presence of Persistant Organic Pollutants (POPs) accumulating in the fat–rich fish. Included in this group is PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane).

Blight–resistant plant could be ready for market in under five years, says Teagasc

Teagasc hopes to begin planting more than 5,000 potato plants in the next two weeks, in the second phase of its study into the environmental impact of blight–resistant genetically modified (GM) potatoes.

The agricultural development body began the study last year by planting 48 GM and non–GM potato plants at its Oak Park crops research centre in Carlow. Its senior research officer Dr Ewen Mullins said he hoped planting would get under way later this week if the ground was not too dry. About 5,274 plants will be planted across two acres. One–third are GM plants, one–third are non–GM and the final third are the organic Sarpo Mira variety.

According to the lobby group: “The proposal to cultivate invasive species of non–native oysters and non–native clams and mussels in a Special Area of Conservation and Special Area of Protection for Birds flies in the face of reason and undermines a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice.”

The Minister determines that the loss of up to 15% of the site does not undermine the sites integrity, ruling that “finding of damage to that site is not necessarily incompatible with there being no adverse effects on its integrity”.

Yet it has not stopped our financial services sector, their cheerleaders and fellow travellers from insisting that we need to get back to a lighter regulatory environment, else we may lose some of these companies.

In essence they are asking us to trust them. But events across the world would suggest that corporates have little responsibility to the community at large, so why should we? These companies are profit takers and their major, perhaps even sole responsibility, is to their shareholders.

Researchers from universities including Harvard, UCC, UCD, Trinity College and Queens University Belfast assessed over 40,000 Irish and Latin entries in the Irish annals. Kept by educated scribes in monastic centres until the 13th century and by historians until 1649, the annals describe major events in Ireland’s history.

As many as 2 million people in 436 cities in 52 countries around the world may have demonstrated in March Against Monsanto protests conducted Saturday, according to the Associated Press, which cited event organizers.

The demonstrators targeted the St. Louis–based Monsanto Co. (NYSE:MON) because of its historical role in introducing genetically modified products into the food supply. GM products are controversial for a number of reasons. One centers on health risks; another centers on labeling.

Because labeling is not mandatory but voluntary in many jurisdictions, such as the U.S., consumers are not universally made aware which products are GM and which products are not GM. Hence, one sign singled out by AP in its coverage of the March Against Monsanto protest in Los Angeles Saturday read, “Label GMOs, It’s Our Right to Know.”

However, the study was criticised by Friends of the Irish Environment and An Taisce, who have mounted challenges to the first of an expected eight British nuclear plants, the proposed Hinkley Point C reactor in Somerset, England.

The institute’s chief executive, Dr Ann McGarry, said severe radiological effects in Ireland were “unlikely”, but “a socio–economic impact” would be felt in the event of a severe accident.

Mr Hogan was speaking at the presentation of the awards in Dublin yesterday. The number of beaches around the country which received the coveted blue flag this year has dropped by 15 per cent compared to 2012. Marinas Some 70 beaches and four marinas were awarded the flag – an overall drop of 13.

It is an invitation to abuse, illegality and the destruction of stocks. While public attention has focused on the dumping of edible fish, a far more important matter is the unwillingness of governments to share information.

National databases on catches have been created and trawlers are required to maintain electronic logbooks. But that information remains closely guarded and is not shared between member states and fishery protection agencies.

In his letter, he explained that while he does “not normally get involved in such debates” he “was surprised at some of the incorrect information about whether sea lice from salmon farms can cause problems on wild fish” and felt it important “that I provide you with best scientific information”.

Failure of industry to take responsibility for regeneration of forestry was one of the main reasons for the recognition that privatisation had been a mistake, Olof Johannson, vice–president of Sveaskog, told The Irish Times.

Threats to the public’s right of access to forestry was also a factor, he said, even though right of access is guaranteed to both public and privately owned woodland under Swedish law.

Why Newry? Because the sponsors tried and failed to get solicitors in Dublin to act for them – the whole issue was too hot to handle. Across the Border, however, there were no such sensitivities, so Donnelly Neary & Donnelly readily agreed to act as the legal conduit.