Portobello Institute Blog

There are a wide range of issues currently facing organisations in the whole area of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). These include: process and best practice, practical requirements, the legislative framework and cost benefit analysis among others.
Portobello Institute’s exciting new 20 week Diploma Programme is designed to provide a critical overview of the theory and practice of EIA as operated within Ireland and under international legislation. The lecturers for this course are industry experts and practitioners and include:

Richard Nairn, Managing Director at Natura Environmental Consultants Ltd who is a Project manager for over 500 ecological surveys and monitoring projects, mainly for EIA. Hugely experienced in Environmental Impact Assessment for sewage treatment works, roads, pipelines, port facilities and industrial developments. Member of government-appointed consultancy teams to prepare management plans for National Parks and Coastal Zone Management Policy. Former Director of the Irish Wildbird Conservancy (now BirdWatch Ireland) Commissioned by National Roads Authority to prepare Guidelines for Assessment of Ecological Impacts of National Road Schemes. Experienced expert witness at oral hearings. Author of two books and published extensively in scientific literature. Natura is an independent, professional environmental consultancy

EurGeol Dr Stephen Mandal MIAI PGeo is co-founder (in 1997) and managing director of CRDS Ltd. Stephen holds an honours science degree in Geology (1991) and a PhD in Geoarchaeology on the petrology of the Irish stone axe (1995) from Trinity College Dublin. He also holds Certificates in Safety and Health (1999) and Occupational First Aid (2000) from UCD. On completion of his PhD, Stephen spent two years as a post-doctoral research fellow in the Archaeology Department, UCD, during which time he also undertook a three-month research fellowship in Cineca, Bologna, Italy. Since 1991 Stephen has been petrologist for the Irish Stone Axe Project. He is professional member of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland, the Institute of Geologists of Ireland, and the European Federation of Professional Geologists. In the summer of 2009 Stephen was elected to the Royal Irish Academy Committee for Archaeology, and in September 2009 was elected as Vice Chairperson of the committee.
CRDS Ltd (www.crds.ie) is an independent professional consulting company, providing services to both private and public organisations. With offices in Dundrum, Dublin 14, and Co. Meath, the company has been providing a high level of service since 1997 to a wide range of clients, including the NRA, the RPA, National Monuments, the Heritage Council, County Councils and private sector developers. Services include all levels of archaeological survey and assessment, from environmental impact studies to pre-development testing and monitoring to large scale excavation. The company is the recognised market leader in undertaking the cultural heritage component of environmental impact assessments. Specialist areas of expertise within the company include: medieval architecture, architectural survey and recording, EDM / GPS surveying, archaeogeophysical investigations, underwater archaeology, and geology. CRDS is also a provider of CPD courses and operates an archaeological summer field school (www.iafs.ie), and offers a number of expert led cultural heritage tours (www.culturaltourismireland.ie).

Teri Hayes is a Director of WYG’s Environmental Services division and has 18 years experience in managing a wide range of environmental projects for both public and private bodies. She has provided consultancy services in a broad range of environmental disciplines including environmental impact assessment, water resource management, environmental monitoring and licensing and contaminated land investigations. Her specialist areas are water resource management and environmental impact assessment.

Dr Carmel Brennan BSc (Environmental Science), MSc, PhD, MIEEM.
Senior Project Manager with Natura Environmental Consultants. Ecologist with extensive experience in survey and evaluation of habitats in Ireland. Post-graduate research experience on wetlands in Northern Ireland using the Northern Ireland Countryside Survey (NICS) techniques. Consultancy experience in ecological appraisal and Environmental Impact Assessment for a wide range of developments including roads, light rail, waste management facilities, wind farms, residential and industrial developments. Carmel has undertaken biodiversity scoping and biodiversity training for Dublin Local Authorities. She is skilled in project management and interpretation of scientific data. She has prepared the Habitats Directive Assessments for several large planning studies including Greater Dublin Water Supply Project, Greater Dublin Regional Planning Guidelines and Galway City Development Plan. She is the principal author of the Green City Guidelines, published by the UCD Urban Institute (2008). She has also prepared ecological assessments for several large infrastructure projects in the Dublin area including DART underground, Luas Line BXD and Metro West. She is a Member of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.

Aislinn Collins MA PGDip DipEIAMgt MIAI is CRDS Ltd EIA manager. Aislinn holds a BA degree in Archaeology and Geography (UCD), an MA in Geography (UCD), a Graduate Diploma in Architectural Inventory and Recording (DIT, Bolton Street), and a Diploma in E.I.A. Management (UCD). Prior to taking up employment with CRDS Ltd. she was employed on the Historic Heart of Dublin Project a joint initiative between Dublin Civic Trust and Dublin Corporation. While there she was part of a team of architectural records who compiled an inventory of over 3000 building interiors, exteriors and streetscapes. Since joining CRDS Ltd Aislinn has amassed considerable experience in undertaking the cultural heritage aspects of EIAs. She has also project managed a number of key projects, including the cultural heritage component of the Tara Management Plan and the archaeological, historical and architectural components of the three Waterways Corridor Studies. She also carried out, in partnership with Architectural Recording and Research, the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage of Co. Meath on behalf of National Monuments (then Dúchas).

Aisling Collins MA MIAI Course Director
Underwater Director and Project Manager Aisling Collins graduated from UCD in 1993 and after gaining extensive research and field experience undertook a Master of Arts Degree in Marine Archaeology at St Andrews University, Scotland in 1996. AC is a postgraduate archaeologist and has extensive archaeological experience both on land and underwater having worked for various bodies such as Dúchas (National Monuments) Underwater Unit, the National Museum of Ireland, ADCO (Archaeological Dive Company) and MAU (Archaeological Dive Company) and also having worked on a wide variety of land sites both in Ireland, Germany and Australia, she has also gained valuable experience in archaeological desk-based assessments, project management and EIS projects through archaeological consultancy work over the past twelve years.

Aisling Collins is available to discuss the course with potential students should you require further information. We would love to hear your feedback on your experience with EIA’s in your field of work….