Philip Nugent is the Principal Officer of the Waste Policy and Resource Efficiency Section in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Prior to this he was the Principal Officer in Planning and prior to that he was Principal Officer in Housing Policy & Finance. He has from UCD a Batchelor’s of Arts and Master of Arts. He has an MScEcon, Policy Analysis from the Institute of Public Administration.
Brian Carroll of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Division in the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources since 2012, and a Member of the Board of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland since 2010. He chairs the Steering Group that oversees the implementation of Ireland’s Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan which was published in February 2014. He has also worked in the Central Expenditure Evaluation Unit of the Ireland’s Department of Finance. In total he has spent 23 years in the Civil Service, having also worked in the Departments of Justice and Foreign Affairs. He holds a fi rst class Masters in Economic Science from the National University of Ireland.
Denise Keoghan is an Assistant Principal in the Sustainable Transport Division of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. She is involved in the development of sustainable transport and climate change policy, including the delivery of the low carbon roadmap for the transport sector. A graduate of psychology and adult education, Denise joined the Civil Service in 2000 where she has enjoyed various roles in policy development, finance and legislation.
Arjen Brinkmann Managing Director of BVOR (Dutch Association of Biowaste Processors). Arjen has 20 years of international experience in the waste industry. He has worked for two major Dutch consulting engineering companies and a bio-energy project developer before starting his own consultancy firm Brinkmann Consultancy in 2008. His consultancy focuses on sustainable waste & resource management, as well as CSR strategies. In 2011, Arjen was appointed managing director of the Dutch Association of Biowaste Processors (BVOR), which represents the Dutch biowaste recycling industry. Between 2000 and 2002, Arjen worked in Ireland on permanent secondment to Tobin Consulting Engineers.
David Newman is the Managing Director of the newly established BBIA promoting the bioeconomy in the UK. Since 2012 he holds the position of President of the International Solid Waste Association which operates from Vienna. He was recently appointed Chairman of the international charity organisation WasteAid. He has worked in the waste industry since 1999 and specifically composting and AD, and lately has been involved in developing plastic bag legislation in Italy and the EU.
Padraig Brennan holds the position of Sustainability Development Manager in Bord Bia (Irish Food Board). He has been part of the team involved in the development and implementation of Bord Bia’s Origin Green Sustainability programme. From its launch in the second half of 2012 more than 460 Irish food and drink companies have registered their participant with 80% of Ireland’s food and drink exports covered by verified members of the programme while more than almost 40,000 farms are undertaking sustainability assessments annually. Padraig is from a family farming background, holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from University College Dublin (UCD) and a Masters in Business Development from the University of Western Australia.
Siobhán Gillen holds a BA in Business Management and a BSc in Environmental Management, both of which are from Institute of Technology, Sligo. Siobhán worked primarily in administration up until September 2011 when she then joined the Environmental Services Department of Sligo County Council, as a Waste Management Enforcement Officer.
Matthew Byrne holds a Masters in Environmental, Health and Safety Management, an Honours Degree in Environmental Studies and a Higher Diploma in Environmental Science. Matthew has worked in the Public Sector waste management arena for almost 15 years. He is a member of many national working groups and a secretary to the Connacht Ulster Regional Waste Management Enforcement Network. Matthew’s passion for the environmental and regulatory field has helped him implement change through engagement, negotiation and motivation and of stakeholders across a broad spectrum of public, commercial and domestic sectors.
Sean Scott graduated from Institute of Technology, Sligo in 1997. Sean has worked with Masonite Ireland and subsequently the Environmental Protection Agency before joining Leitrim County Council. Sean has been working in Waste Enforcement since 2005. In the last three years he has been involved in the formulation and implementation of waste policy in County Leitrim and in particular the roll out of a pay by weight and brown bin system across County Leitrim.
Discussion Panel
Patricia Callan is the Director of the Small Firms Association, “The Voice of Small Business” in Ireland, with responsibility for the overall leadership and management of the Association. The SFA is Ireland’s largest small firm representative organisation, with over 8,500 member companies. Its mission is to be the trusted partner of small businesses in Ireland, to deliver business-focused advice and insights to member companies, influence government policy to the benefit of small businesses and connect its members in a thriving community.
Patricia is a member of the Government’s National Economic Dialogue (NED), the Advisory Group on Small Business (DJEI), the High Level Group on Business Regulation (DJEI), the Public Procurement SME Working Group (DPER/OGP), the SME Funding Consultation Committee (Department of Finance), the Prompt Payment Code of Conduct Working Group (DJEI) and the Business Europe Entrepreneurship & SME Committee, amongst others.
Patricia holds a Masters in International Studies from the University of Limerick, a BA (mod.) in Economics from Trinity College Dublin, a Diploma in Management from DIT, and a Diploma in Employment Law from the National College of Ireland.
Patricia is a previous recipient of the “O2 WM Businesswoman of the Year” award and the “Network Ireland Businesswoman of the Year” award; was featured in the Irish Independent’s list of “Ireland’s Fifty Most Influential Women Business Leaders”, in Business & Finance magazine’s “Who’s Who in Irish Business”, and in “Capital Women of Influence: Profiles of 13 Inspirational Irish Women”.
Sean Campbell is a native of Galway and has over 20 years experience working in the environmental sector. Graduating with a degree in Agricultural Science, he also has a diploma in Environmental Impact management (UCD) and Environmental Engineering (Trinity College). Sean has held various management positions over the years with REPAK, IFFPG and OCAE consultants. Sean has also worked as a consultant to the EPA providing technical assistance on the Emission Trading schemes and with SGS Ireland as a Green House verifier. Sean also worked as manager of the field trials division of SGS. Sean has worked on various projects with Thorntons Recycling since 2008 and has recently taken over as facility manager of Kilmainhamwood compost. Sean is a member of CRÉ and sits on the associations Anaerobic Digestion committee.
Pete Murtagh has been working as a waste enforcement officer for Local Authorities in the west of Ireland for over ten years. During this time he has seen the waste management industry change significantly, from a public service to a private one, and from a one bin system to the three we have today. Pete was also an early recipient of the Certificate in Compost Facility Operation from Cré, which was when Sligo County Council were starting to develop their green waste composting site in Ballisodare, Co. Sligo. Pete has dealt with all sorts of waste producers and processors over the years and while he is a firm believer in prevention is better than cure, he is a realist who understands that when effective management is applied at an early stage to the waste that is inevitably produced, both from a household & business point of view, this reduces not only the cost but the adverse environmental effects.