General

Boiling water contaminated with THMs does not make it safe; it compounds the danger. Ireland is now in clear breach of EU law and permitting a growing risk to public health. By Tony Lowes Uisce Éireann is failing to warn the public about a dual risk: the health threat posed when consumers are told to boil water that is already contaminated with dangerous levels of Trihalomethanes (THMs). That’s the stark message from Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), which has written to Uisce Éireann, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, and the Health Service Executive. Boil water notices are being issued in areas where THM levels exceed safe limits and consumers are being advised to boil water without being told that this increases exposure to harmful chemicals Our central concern is this: boil water notices are being issued in areas where THM levels exceed safe limits, and consumers are being advised to bring water to a “vigorous, rolling boil” without being told that this process increases exposure to harmful chemicals. Boiling water contaminated with THMs does not make it safe; it compounds the danger. Ireland is now in clear breach of EU law and a permitting a growing risk to public health. Boiling water contaminated with THMs compounds the danger According to the press release issued by FIE on 10 June 2025, “Ireland has failed in its obligation to provide clean and wholesome water as required by EU law and continues to supply a large number of households with water polluted with toxic chemicals.” This failure is backed up by data from the EPA, which shows that “the number of people served by ‘at risk’ public water supplies has increased again in 2023 to 561,000, up from 481,000. The increase is primarily due to detections of persistent Trihalomethanes [THM] and cryptosporidium.” One in twenty supplies failed to meet the THM standard in 2023 [1]. THMs are a group of more than 60 chemical by-products, including chloroform, created when chlorine added as a disinfectant reacts with organic materials in the water, such as peaty soil. Long-term exposure to elevated levels of THMs has been associated with increased risk of cancer, particularly bladder cancer, and adverse reproductive outcomes such as low birth weight and small-for-gestational-age infants [2, 3]. These risks are amplified in everyday domestic settings through activities such as showering and bathing, which increase both inhalation and dermal exposure to these chemicals. While the HSE maintains that chlorine cannot be reduced without risking bacterial contamination, FIE argues that “the issue can, in fact, be addressed by simple charcoal filters” [4]. Despite this, no systematic provision or recommendation for such filters has been implemented in affected areas. Issuing boil water notices for contaminated supplies without informing the public of these inhalation and dermal risks creates what FIE calls a “dual risk.” Tony Lowes explained that “boiling water with THM poses a significant long-term health hazard by releasing the toxic chemicals into the atmosphere with impacts including an increased risk of bladder cancer.” Scientific research confirms these dangers. Studies show that blood concentrations of THMs can rise five- to fifteen-fold during showering, and bathing and hand dishwashing also significantly increase THM exposure. These results underscore that boiling contaminated water in enclosed environments can, paradoxically, elevate the health risk it is supposed to reduce [2]. Despite these known dangers, Uisce Éireann continues to advise a “vigorous, rolling boil” of water without qualification. The absence of transparent warnings on this compounding risk is a major failure in public health messaging and may expose the State to liability. The problem is not hypothetical. The FIE press release details multiple affected water supplies. A brief boil water notice in Limerick affected 113,764 consumers. Persistent notices continue in: According to the EPA’s Q4 2024 Drinking Water Remedial Action List, 11 of the supplies exceeding permitted THM levels still have no plans for action and are listed as “to be submitted by Uisce Éireann” [5]. FIE notes that this issue was first highlighted in 2016, when the group lodged a complaint with the EU regarding Carraroe, County Galway [7]. The resulting 2024 judgment from the European Court of Justice confirmed that Ireland had breached the Drinking Water Directive. FIE argues that the situation has worsened since that judgment. That judgment, based on years of inaction, detailed how Ireland had failed to adequately monitor, report on, and address chemical contamination in its public water systems. It emphasised the principle of preventative action in EU environmental law, and highlighted how vulnerable communities were being left with unsafe water for years. The Court found that even when remedial action was planned, delays in implementation rendered Ireland non-compliant with its obligations. In some cases, families living in affected areas report relying on bottled water for drinking and cooking for years, at personal expense. In rural areas especially, people on small group water schemes face barriers in accessing filters or alternative supplies. There is frustration, too, at the lack of public engagement. Citizens are rarely consulted on remedial plans, and communication about risks often comes only after media attention or pressure from environmental groups. Comparatively, Ireland’s handling of THM contamination contrasts sharply with the approach taken in other EU member states. In Denmark, for example, water authorities routinely publish detailed chemical profiles of local water, including all THM levels, in public databases updated quarterly. In France, where THM issues were discovered in Brittany, local health authorities launched immediate door-to-door awareness campaigns and offered subsidies for household filters. In both cases, transparency and action reduced risk. By contrast, in Ireland, even basic transparency is lacking. Information is often buried in technical documents or behind freedom of information requests. The EPA’s own remedial action list, while important, gives only high-level overviews with limited narrative. No map of affected zones has been made public, and boil water notices continue to be issued without reference to the chemical profile of the water involved. Moreover, the State’s failure to act is

Sonia ‘Sunny’ Jacobs, a beacon of resilience and a tireless advocate for justice reform, passed away at the age of seventy-six in a tragic house fire in Glenmacmurrin, County Galway, Ireland, today June 3, 2025. Also perishing in the blaze was Kevin Kelly, her carer. Her partner Peter Pringle, who I also knew, died in 2023. Born in New York in 1949, Sunny’s life took a harrowing turn in 1976 when she, her partner Jesse Tafero, and their two young children were involved in a fatal incident at a Florida rest stop. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper and a Canadian police officer were killed, leading to Sunny and Jesse’s wrongful convictions for murder. Despite another man, Walter Rhodes, later confessing to the crime, Sunny spent 17 years in prison, including five years on death row in solitary confinement. She was exonerated in 1992, two years after Jesse was executed. Sunny worked closely with the Innocence Project which I founded in Ireland and Europe, and with related organisations across the globe. Despite her increasing immobility she was a forceful presence anywhere she went and  very obviously a sunflower child. It was like meeting Gaia, at Woodstock. She was the sotto voce poster girl of the Innocence Project always shunning the limelight even when documentaries were made about her. Her partner Peter Pringle was more bullish. He had been himself one of the last people to be sentenced to death in Ireland before capital punishment was abolished in 1990. His conviction for the murder of two gardaí was quashed in 1995 after he had served 15 years in prison. In her memoir, ‘Stolen Time’, Sunny recounted her experiences with searing clarity. Reflecting on her time in solitary confinement, she wrote: “In a world of one, I am alone, more alone than I have ever been in my life. Locked up in a box within a box where no one can enter, and I cannot leave. I am to await my death.” But even in the depths of despair, she found a spiritual freedom no prison could take. “Hopelessness just did not appeal to me… they can keep me here but what goes on within the confines of these walls is mine to create. They cannot imprison my soul!”. After her release, Sunny dedicated her life to advocating against the death penalty and supporting exonerees. In 1998, she met Peter Pringle, an Irish man who had also been sentenced to death. Their shared experience forged a deep bond, and they married in 2012. Together, they founded The Sunny Centre, a sanctuary for exonerees to heal and rebuild their lives. She participated in public education campaigns, mentored exonerees, and pushed for reforms to prevent future miscarriages of justice. Her story became emblematic at one level of the Innocence Project’s mission. As she once said, “Justice should be about truth. The truth set me free — and now I try to help others find their freedom too”. Sadly, I believe the Innocence Project has long since lost much of its moral bearing. Sunny became a sought-after speaker, sharing her journey of injustice and redemption around the world. Even after Peter’s death in January 2023, she continued their mission with fierce determination. Sunny’s passion for justice led to the creation of the foundation that bears here name, The Sunny Center, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping those who have endured wrongful conviction Sunny is survived by her two children, who were separated from her during her incarceration. Her life stands as a testament to the human capacity for resilience, forgiveness, and the relentless pursuit of truth. In her own words: “I had a choice to believe either in hope or hopelessness. And so, I chose to believe in hope rather than hopelessness. That one instant changed everything for me.” She was a wonderful gentle spirit: a child of a more spiritual and finer age. Devoid of malice and hatred. I do not know what happened, but I am very glad that we in Ireland gave her a refuge of comfort and even joy in her last years.  

Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh talks sorrowful Palestine in Cloughjordan. By Caroline Hurley. Last Saturday, as soup and bread was served, made fresh from local ingredients, people arrived, filling the meeting room of Cloughjordan Enterprise Centre. Two members of local Palestine support groups briefly set the scene and welcomed Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh. A Palestinian scientist, author and founder and director of the Palestine Museum of Natural History (PMNH) and the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) at Bethlehem University, Professor Qumsiyeh has published well over 150 scientific papers on topics ranging from cultural heritage to biodiversity in addition to several books, including ‘Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment’ (2010).  Dr Qumsiyeh began his talk by acknowledging a link between his youth spent in the catchment area of the River Jordan, and the name of the settlement he was currently addressing i.e. Cloughjordan. Clough means ‘stone’ in Irish. The legend goes that after a Crusade in the Holy Land, a nobleman’s son brought back a stone taken from the river, and he founded a new town around it in the Irish midlands. The legendary stone was recently mounted on the main street with a plaque! Known as the Fertile Crescent, Palestine hosts more natural species than the whole of America. 540 species of birds have been identified Dr Qumsiyeh pointed out that up to 90% of Palestinians were engaged in land-based activities. Known as the Fertile Crescent, Palestine hosts more natural species than the whole of America. 540 species of birds have been identified.  Located at the lowest point on earth, its geology made it the ideal cradle of agriculture and so civilisations:  where the first laws, first music, first alphabets, and much more were developed. It was from here early humans migrated to Africa and elsewhere. Colonisation disrupts both biological and human diversity, because, as Ilan Pappé wrote, accomplishing its aim of monolithic culture requires ethnic cleansing. Sometimes called Canaan, Palestine’s multicultural heritage is huge. In 1932, a range of religious leaders got together to object to the proposed creation of a Jewish state, preferring to preserve the vibrant cosmopolitan diversity. Colonisation disrupts both biological and human diversity, because, as Ilan Pappé wrote, accomplishing its aim of monolithic culture requires ethnic cleansing. Claims based on religion or genetic origin almost always turn irrational and discriminatory, but continue to be advanced. Anyone anywhere who converts to Judaism may apply to live in Israel. 140 years of resistance by Palestinians have not yet secured equal rights. Damages done by militaries can no longer be denied, since everyone knows, but the logic of colonisers seems to be to want the land they take to look like that they left behind, and perhaps also not to remind them of people whose lives they destroyed. Dr Qumsiyeh displayed the shrinking map of Palestine land alongside the older original native land-dispossession map representing America. Planter narratives justifying behaviour towards barbarians are not difficult to iterate. All colonising is against nature, and ecocidal to some extent. The Professor referred again to the River Jordan when describing how water was diverted. Now only a stream remains, with deeper pools artificially maintained at points where tourists come to dip. Palestinian wetland areas were harmfully drained by Europeans, as they were in Australia and elsewhere. These days, under cover of bombing, ancient trees, polytunnels and other treasures of nature are frequently bulldozed out of resettlement way. Since October 2023, explosives equivalent to at least five Hiroshima bombs have been dropped on Gaza. There is evidence of the use of depleted uranium, as well as confirmed use of thermobaric and white phosphorus weapons in densely urban areas, assuring casualties. Living beings struck burn alive, in agony. The ground bombed is ruined, resulting in long-term environmental toxicity.  Carbon emissions from wars are exempted from Paris accord count requirements but they have global impacts, and it is accepted the military  accounts for at least 5.5% of global emissions. Every university in Gaza, and 32 out of 36 major hospitals have been bombed out of service. More than 200 journalists have been killed, described by some as vericide, the killing of truth. Less than that number were killed during the whole of World War II. Water, electricity and other amenities are often cut off from Palestinian neighbourhoods. Dr Qumsiyeh’s uncle was the first qualified geologist in Palestine. Inspired by his dedication, Dr Qumsiyeh set up the popular Museum of Natural History in 2014. Land around it has been cultivated using eco-friendly practices. Research, conservation, community outreach, and biodiversity initiatives all benefit from large records collected and held there. A lot of the content of the talk and most of the slides, including footage of the institute can be found from the recording online of a similar talk Dr Qumsiyh gave in early 2024 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ94p8M30pY He also showed pictures of his own arrests. When asked about the circumstances, he said peaceful nonviolent protest was all it took. Israeli authorities can declare closed military zones at will. When asked how the institutes and surrounding lands could thrive, he explained his US citizenship afforded him some extra protection, as did the fact that lands were donated by the church: Bethlehem University, where he also works, was established by the Vatican. When asked about how Irish people can help, he suggested that everyone do whatever they felt comfortable doing and had talent for, be it art, writing, protest such as attending pro-Palestine events, rallies at Shannon Airport against military use and so on, to raise awareness about the genocide and other war crimes.  The UN Charter puts peace before all: “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. Palestine demonstrates why.  

The Greens negotiated a legally ineffective commitment in the Programme for Government and then, worse, changed their minds, all with the figleaf of Friends of the Earth support. By Eoghan O’ Hairis. Even in a post-truth age, the truth has a way of catching up with you. At least this is what we tell ourselves, as we campaign in the final weeks of the coalition Government to get accountability for a grave political betrayal. I am part of a campaign to stop the Shannon LNG fracked-gas import terminal. The terminal is being proposed for the Tarbert/Ballylongford landbank, just miles from my home town of Listowel in North Kerry. Since I joined the campaign in 2018, I have been part of a campaign wielding evidence and truth as weapons against an American multinational whose CEO is nicknamed the ‘sub-prime lending king’ and its supporters in my local area who pin the prosperity of north Kerry on the project. But it has not been the fossil-fuel industry or its supporters who have been our biggest difficulty in the campaign so far. Nor has it been councillors and TDs in Fianna Fáil and Fíne Gael, who admittedly are all too receptive to the manoeuvrings of this US multinational. Our biggest challenge, and the main reason why we could be out on the road blocking construction of this megaproject in the near future, is the environmental establishment in this country. In November 2023, Minister Eamon Ryan published his new energy policy, the Energy Security Package. Action 17 of this policy mandated Ireland having a third source of gas, supplementing Corrib and imports via Scotland, in the form of an LNG terminal. This policy U-turn was a betrayal of the promise that Ryan had made to the environmental movement on entering coalition. He could not have accomplished this without the assistance and blessing of Friends of the Earth Ireland. But before I talk about political betrayal and institutional capture, I must be honest with the reader about the wrongs and the mistakes of our campaign. We never had a moratorium on LNG. If you were listening to us for the last few years, you could be forgiven for thinking there was one in place, but there never was. In 2020, somewhere in the midst of the Greens’ negotiations with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, an idea arose in the campaign to pressure the Greens to make a promise to keep fracked gas out if they did go in together. This became known as the red line promise. What was agreed to in this Programme for Government was not in reality a moratorium, but a policy statement. Judge Richard Humphreys clearly defined this in New Fortress’s successful High Court challenge: “It appears to be common ground between the parties that, contrary to the wording used by the Minister, the Government policy does not constitute a moratorium. It follows that the document constituted a policy preference only, which the board is in law free to depart from because Government policy has only a have-regard-to status and not a comply-with status”. So this was an agreement based on a statement which had some weight for planning, but it was not a moratorium. The Programme for Government was a faith-based promise, basically. I knew very little about law or policy at the time, but I was part of the bailout generation and could have no faith in the party that helped sell us to the banks. My biggest regret from that time was not to be more assertive in my opposition. I let it slide and deferred to people who had been fighting this for much longer than me, one of whom had fought bravely for years in spite of local pro-LNG sentiment which at times descended into thuggery. But no matter how hard someone fights, our judgement can fail us when we smell victory and want to believe it. Left to the judgement of one or two individuals who had in-depth knowledge of the Shannon LNG saga, the campaign at that time had no broader democratic mechanisms for collective scrutinising of evidence and desision-making; and everyone seemed to go along with this weak and legally flawed promise. Much of the action on the streets was carried out by Extinction Rebellion (XR) who disavowed political engagement. It took a lot of work and political education from one of the core campaign groups to get XR to even commit to focusing on Shannon LNG as a focal point at the time. 0n 29 October 2020, after the laborious formation of a government, the Programme for Government was published, stating that: “We do not support the importation of fracked gas and shall develop a policy statement to establish that approach”. Elsewhere the Programme for Government declared: “As Ireland moves towards carbon neutrality, we do not believe that it make sense to develop LNG gas import terminals importing fracked gas. Accordingly, we shall withdraw the Shannon LNG terminal from the EU Projects of Common Interest list in 2021”. Having the right people to advise us in getting a commitment to a planning Directive rather than a policy statement into the Programme for Government, could have saved us an awful lot of grief. While the first statement had some breadth it was misdirected; the understanding from activists was that once a policy statement favoured stopping LNG terminals, then the Greens, who held the balance of power in government, would be able to implement a viable ban. It became evident to them once the Greens got into power, that a ban on LNG was not a priority for them. Minister Darragh O’ Brien notably  did not issue, and was not called upon to issue, an appropriate planning Directive with which An Bord Pleanála would have had to comply.  That makes sense now: this action, which would have been a real moratorium, hadn’t even been promised in the Programme for Government, which only agreed to a policy statement. Having the right people to advise