In this podcast, which is part of the IIEA’s Future-Proofing Europe Project and kindly supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, IIEA Researcher Dylan Marshall engaged with Judge Baker in a conversation on the link between the European Democracy Shield and safeguarding the integrity of elections.
Judge Baker provided an overview of the role and powers of the Electoral Commission (An Coimisiún Toghcháin) as an independent statutory body, constrained by legislation, which is responsible for:
· overseeing all elections and referendum campaigns in Ireland;
· overseeing the realignment of constituency boundaries;
· maintaining the register of political parties in Ireland; and
· encouraging people to vote by explaining the electoral process and its education and research role.
On its role of ensuring the fairness and integrity of electoral events, she highlighted the importance of procedures being followed correctly to ensure that everyone has access and the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Furthermore, Judge Baker referred to the links between the Electoral Commission and similar agencies in other European countries and explained how its work can feed into the formulation of the EU Democracy Shield, which is due to be presented this autumn by Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
Judge Baker discussed the Electoral Commission’s yet to be defined role in regulating online political information and advertising and discussed the Political Advertising Regulation, which will enter into force in October 2025, and the potential role that the Electoral Commission may have in its enforcement. In the context of regulating dis- and misinformation, Judge Baker underlined the importance of freedom of expression and its constitutional value and emphasised the importance of ensuring a balance between freedom of expression and regulation. Furthermore, she reflected on the role judicial oversight could have in ensuring respect for rights in this area, highlighting the importance of the rule of law and its link to democratic resilience. However, she emphasised the particular logistical difficulties that can arise with judicial redress around electoral events.
Judge Baker emphasised the importance of education for citizens to enable them to engage with civil society and democratic processes and expressed the view that educational outreach can achieve much better outcomes in countering dis- and misinformation than regulation alone. She welcomed the high level of electoral literacy amongst Irish people and mentioned that radio programmes have proved to be an effective platform for reaching people in their daily life.
Judge Baker briefly reflected on the upcoming Presidential elections in Ireland and stated that the procedures are neutral and robust, that the President’s ceremonial role should reflect the values of the population and must be taken seriously, and that the Electoral Commission has a role in ensuring that people know what the President can and cannot do. The conversation concluded with a discussion on the recently proposed motions, passed in the Northern Ireland Assembly and debated in Dáil Éireann, to expand the franchise in Irish Presidential elections to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and on the potential logistical and structural challenges it could pose.
All content for IIEA Talks is the property of IIEA and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
In this podcast, which is part of the IIEA’s Future-Proofing Europe Project and kindly supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, IIEA Researcher Dylan Marshall engaged with Judge Baker in a conversation on the link between the European Democracy Shield and safeguarding the integrity of elections.
Judge Baker provided an overview of the role and powers of the Electoral Commission (An Coimisiún Toghcháin) as an independent statutory body, constrained by legislation, which is responsible for:
· overseeing all elections and referendum campaigns in Ireland;
· overseeing the realignment of constituency boundaries;
· maintaining the register of political parties in Ireland; and
· encouraging people to vote by explaining the electoral process and its education and research role.
On its role of ensuring the fairness and integrity of electoral events, she highlighted the importance of procedures being followed correctly to ensure that everyone has access and the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Furthermore, Judge Baker referred to the links between the Electoral Commission and similar agencies in other European countries and explained how its work can feed into the formulation of the EU Democracy Shield, which is due to be presented this autumn by Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
Judge Baker discussed the Electoral Commission’s yet to be defined role in regulating online political information and advertising and discussed the Political Advertising Regulation, which will enter into force in October 2025, and the potential role that the Electoral Commission may have in its enforcement. In the context of regulating dis- and misinformation, Judge Baker underlined the importance of freedom of expression and its constitutional value and emphasised the importance of ensuring a balance between freedom of expression and regulation. Furthermore, she reflected on the role judicial oversight could have in ensuring respect for rights in this area, highlighting the importance of the rule of law and its link to democratic resilience. However, she emphasised the particular logistical difficulties that can arise with judicial redress around electoral events.
Judge Baker emphasised the importance of education for citizens to enable them to engage with civil society and democratic processes and expressed the view that educational outreach can achieve much better outcomes in countering dis- and misinformation than regulation alone. She welcomed the high level of electoral literacy amongst Irish people and mentioned that radio programmes have proved to be an effective platform for reaching people in their daily life.
Judge Baker briefly reflected on the upcoming Presidential elections in Ireland and stated that the procedures are neutral and robust, that the President’s ceremonial role should reflect the values of the population and must be taken seriously, and that the Electoral Commission has a role in ensuring that people know what the President can and cannot do. The conversation concluded with a discussion on the recently proposed motions, passed in the Northern Ireland Assembly and debated in Dáil Éireann, to expand the franchise in Irish Presidential elections to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and on the potential logistical and structural challenges it could pose.
Designing Agricultural Climate Policy in Ireland - From 2030 to Net Zero
IIEA Talks
1 hour 17 minutes 53 seconds
1 month ago
Designing Agricultural Climate Policy in Ireland - From 2030 to Net Zero
In this event, Alan Matthews, Professor Emeritus of European Agricultural Policy at Trinity College Dublin, presents the key themes from his upcoming paper Designing Agricultural Climate Policy in Ireland - From 2030 to Net Zero. The paper, which is the third in the IIEA’s Pathways project, examines the strategic and institutional challenges involved in defining appropriate long-term targets for agricultural emissions in Ireland, and explores the ambiguities and trade-offs in setting 2040 and 2050 targets. It makes the case for exploring the introduction of an agricultural emissions trading scheme to incentivise further progress towards reducing net emissions, and how this could be designed to minimise the impact on farm income while encouraging the necessary structural changes in our food and agricultural system. Prof. Matthews’ presentation is followed by a discussion with an expert panel.
Panel bios:
Alan Matthews is Professor Emeritus of European Agricultural Policy at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, and a former President of the European Association of Agricultural Economists. He is also a former member of the Irish Climate Change Advisory Council. His research interests include the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, the relationships between trade and food security, and WTO trade norms and disciplines.
Niamh Garvey joined the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) as Senior Policy Analyst in March 2021, where she works on sustainable development and climate action. Prior to this, she was Head of Policy and Advocacy at Trócaire, an Irish international development organisation operating in 17 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In this role, she led a team of advisors focused on climate change, sustainable agriculture, business and human rights, and international finance. Niamh has also held research and advocacy positions with Christian Aid and the Institute of Development Studies and has served as a Board Director for several NGOs, including Debt and Development Coalition Ireland, Friends of the Earth Ireland, and Fairtrade Mark Ireland. She is a graduate of Durham University and the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex.
Kevin Hanrahan is Head of Rural Economy and Development Programme at Teagasc. He leads the Rural Economy and Development Programme at Teagasc, based at the Rural Economy & Development Centre in Athenry, Co. Galway. His research focuses on the economic analysis of agricultural markets, including both input and output sectors, with a particular emphasis on agricultural land and factor markets. His research interests are in partial equilibrium modelling of Irish and European agriculture, the economics of climate change as it relates to agriculture, and the microeconomic impacts of agricultural policy reform. Dr Hanrahan also studies the effects of trade policy changes on Irish and EU agriculture and is a noted expert in the economics of Irish beef production.
IIEA Talks
In this podcast, which is part of the IIEA’s Future-Proofing Europe Project and kindly supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, IIEA Researcher Dylan Marshall engaged with Judge Baker in a conversation on the link between the European Democracy Shield and safeguarding the integrity of elections.
Judge Baker provided an overview of the role and powers of the Electoral Commission (An Coimisiún Toghcháin) as an independent statutory body, constrained by legislation, which is responsible for:
· overseeing all elections and referendum campaigns in Ireland;
· overseeing the realignment of constituency boundaries;
· maintaining the register of political parties in Ireland; and
· encouraging people to vote by explaining the electoral process and its education and research role.
On its role of ensuring the fairness and integrity of electoral events, she highlighted the importance of procedures being followed correctly to ensure that everyone has access and the opportunity to exercise their franchise.
Furthermore, Judge Baker referred to the links between the Electoral Commission and similar agencies in other European countries and explained how its work can feed into the formulation of the EU Democracy Shield, which is due to be presented this autumn by Michael McGrath, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
Judge Baker discussed the Electoral Commission’s yet to be defined role in regulating online political information and advertising and discussed the Political Advertising Regulation, which will enter into force in October 2025, and the potential role that the Electoral Commission may have in its enforcement. In the context of regulating dis- and misinformation, Judge Baker underlined the importance of freedom of expression and its constitutional value and emphasised the importance of ensuring a balance between freedom of expression and regulation. Furthermore, she reflected on the role judicial oversight could have in ensuring respect for rights in this area, highlighting the importance of the rule of law and its link to democratic resilience. However, she emphasised the particular logistical difficulties that can arise with judicial redress around electoral events.
Judge Baker emphasised the importance of education for citizens to enable them to engage with civil society and democratic processes and expressed the view that educational outreach can achieve much better outcomes in countering dis- and misinformation than regulation alone. She welcomed the high level of electoral literacy amongst Irish people and mentioned that radio programmes have proved to be an effective platform for reaching people in their daily life.
Judge Baker briefly reflected on the upcoming Presidential elections in Ireland and stated that the procedures are neutral and robust, that the President’s ceremonial role should reflect the values of the population and must be taken seriously, and that the Electoral Commission has a role in ensuring that people know what the President can and cannot do. The conversation concluded with a discussion on the recently proposed motions, passed in the Northern Ireland Assembly and debated in Dáil Éireann, to expand the franchise in Irish Presidential elections to Irish citizens in Northern Ireland and on the potential logistical and structural challenges it could pose.
