State bodies have the purchasing power to encourage the market to produce greener goods and services. New data shows signs of improvement in green procurement but with plenty of room to improve.
The case is the latest attempt by criminals to target an arm of the State, with the National Treasury Management Agency recently falling victim to a €5 million phishing scam this summer.
The agency's latest annual report shows the move was recent as it held €3.6m in bonds at the end of 2024. It also retained investment in companies linked to illegal Israeli settlements, while shares in controversial tech firm Palantir increased last year.
A dispute among investors, including the Irish State, has reignited in the US as Acero Capital challenges the terms of a lifeline deal for the struggling mobile marketing tech firm from 2020.
The newly elected TD Eoin Hayes courted controversy over shares he held in the US company whose intelligence software is used by the Israeli military. The NTMA held €300,000 worth of shares in the company at the end of 2023.
Oireachtas scrutiny has laid out the clear moral imperative of the bill. But it has also brought an unwelcome truth - it needs work on a practical, legal and constitutional footing.
By withdrawing its support for Davy, the NTMA has precipitated the closure of the broker's bond desk. But it has also left Davy exposed to an exodus of clients.
Michael Somers was at the heart of the Irish establishment for more than 30 years. In this candid interview a decade after his departure from the NTMA, he talks about the personalities, the controversies and the issues that defined his career.
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