The Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland is delighted to welcome Tim Murnane, Managing Director at PUNCH Consulting Engineers, as our new President for 2025.
With a wealth of experience in structural and civil engineering and a deep commitment to excellence in consulting engineering, Tim brings strong leadership and insight to the role. His focus on innovation, collaboration, and sustainable infrastructure will guide ACEI’s continued work in championing our industry and supporting our members.
We look forward to working alongside Tim as we continue to advocate for consulting engineering and shape the future of the profession in Ireland.
Read Tim’s Presidential speech – Press release – Tim presidency – Copy
The ACEI Future Leader Award recognises a consulting engineer as a potential leader with excellent communication skills, business acumen, technical capabilities and strong ethical values. ACEI congratulates the 2025 Derrick Edge Future Leader Award Winner Declan Haugh, DBFL Consulting engineers
Declan is pictured above receiving his Award from Anne Marie Conibear, ACEI President and Future Leader adjudicator John Purcell, at the ACEI Awards dinner on Friday 28th March.
Declan and his fellow Future Leader nominees Cian Long and Darragh Noble are entered into the EFCA 2025 Future Leader Award, which will be presented during the EFCA Conference on 16 May in Luxembourg.
ACEI is delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards.
Anne Marie Conibear, ACEI President presented certificates on Friday, 28 March to the award winners at a gala dinner in the Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin. Kevin Rudden, CEO of Garland Ireland was also presented with the 2025 President’s Award on the night.
Congratulations to all our winners and nominees—your innovation and dedication continue to shape the future of engineering, our communities and our lives.
🏆 ACEI Awards 2025 Winners:
🏅 Project of the Year – Fehily Timoney and Company. for the Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Scheme
🏅Civil Category (Large) – Roughan & O’Donovan, Clontarf to City Centre Project
🏅 Civil Category (Medium & Small) – Clifton Scannell Emerson Associates Consulting Engineers for the Snugborough Interchange Upgrade Scheme
🏅 Structural Category (Large) – PUNCH Consulting Engineers for The Distillers Building
🏅 Structural Category (Medium & Small) – Cronin & Sutton Consulting for 9-12 Dawson Street
🏅 Sustainability – Built Environment (Large) – JV Tierney & Co. Consulting Engineers, for DCU Polaris
🏅 Sustainability – Built Environment (Medium & Small)- RPS, Uisce Éireann National Water Laboratory
🏅 Sustainability – Natural Environment – Ryan Hanley in partnership with Stantec, for the Kilkenny Regional Water Supply Scheme Upgrade
🏅 Project Management – Donnachadh O’Brien & Associates for St Conleth’s Park Redevelopment
🏅Innovation – Roughan & O’Donovan, Clontarf to city Centre Project
🏅 Overseas Project – Roughan & O’Donovan for Herring Bridge, Great Yarmouth, UK
🏅 M&E Category – Varming Consulting Engineers Ltd. Consulting Engineers for Block J, Garda HQ
A huge thank you to all our members, sponsors, judges, and guests who made the night so special.
Dublin, [Monday 10th March 2025] – DBFL Consulting Engineers is proud to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious Gold Investors in Diversity standard from the Irish Centre for Diversity, making it the first fully Irish-owned engineering consultancy to hold this prestigious award and one of only 27 organisations out of over 300,000 companies in Ireland, to be accredited with Investors In Diversity Gold. This achievement places DBFL among Ireland’s top-ranking firms for workplace inclusion, solidifying its commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and supportive work environment.
The Gold Investors in Diversity accreditation is the highest standard awarded by the Irish Centre for Diversity, recognizing organizations that go beyond compliance to embed equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in their culture, leadership, and operations.
Speaking about the milestone, Tracy Kearney Director and EDI lead at DBFL, said:
“At DBFL, we believe that diverse teams drive better innovation, collaboration, and outcomes for our people and our clients. Achieving the Gold standard is a proud moment for us and a reflection of our ongoing efforts to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.”
Coincidentally, the same month that DBFL heard the good news about their Gold accreditation, one of the members of DBFL’s EDI team, Transportation Engineer Helen Gendy was also celebrating, having been granted Irish citizenship. Helen, originally from Egypt came to study at Trinity College in 2012. Speaking of her experience she said “I came here just to study, and I never thought I’d stay so long. It’s the home I never realised I needed.” In a time when Ireland is facing a critical engineering skills shortage, attracting and retaining overseas talent is a necessity, so DBFL was delighted to have a double celebration.
DBFL recognises the fact that a diverse workforce enhances productivity, fosters innovation, and leads to better engineering solutions, and by taking proactive steps to ensure inclusion, DBFL are playing their part in building a stronger, more resilient engineering sector that benefits all of Ireland particularly in a time of unprecedented demand for housing.
@Caroline Cummins – Managing Director, Irish Centre for Diversity commented:
“DBFL Consulting Engineers’ progress to Investors in Diversity Gold has been impressive. Investors in Diversity Bronze laid firm foundations to build on, Investors in Diversity Silver listened to the voice of all colleagues to ensure that there is a shared sense of #Belonging, and now they are proud holders of Investors in Diversity Gold. @Christina Haney winning ‘Employee of the Year’ in the National Diversity & Inclusion Awards 2024 was another notable milestone along the way. Very well done to everyone at DBFL. We look forward to sharing more of your D&I journey of continuous progress.”
As DBFL continues to lead the way in workplace inclusivity, the firm hopes to inspire others in the industry to prioritize diversity and equity, recognizing them as key drivers of business success and community development.
About DBFL Consulting Engineers
DBFL is a fully Irish-owned firm specializing in the planning, engineering design and delivery within the property, infrastructure, environmental & energy sectors, dedicated to delivering innovative, resilient and sustainable engineering solutions. The organisation’s core values, Sustainability, Integrity, Adaptability, Excellence, Innovation, and Inclusivity, are the foundation of everything they do, guiding their approach to each project and helping their teams to stay true to their mission of Engineering Sustainable Futures.
ENDS
For further information, interviews, or media inquiries, please contact:
Leonie Lawler
leonie.lawler@dbfl.ie
01 4004000/087 2817397
We are pleased to announce that following a number of member requests, the closing date for receipt of project nominations for the ACEI Engineering Excellence Awards 2025 has been extended to Thursday 23rd January.
1) Civil
2) Structural
3) Mechanical & Electrical
4) Sustainability Built Environment
5) Sustainability Natural Environment
6) SME Firm (up to 20 employees)
7) Project Management
8) Innovation
9) Overseas
Closing date for receipt of project nominations: Thursday 23rd January.
The shortlisted projects will be announced during Spring 2025.
The entry forms and procedures can be found below:
We’re thrilled to highlight the incredible achievements of Anne-Marie Conibear, our ACEI President, in her recent feature in Irish Building Magazine!
Anne-Marie, Director for Energy and Sustainable Cities at Egis in Ireland, is currently leading a major dam and hydro-electricity project in Africa. Her vast expertise in international projects and sustainable development is an inspiration to us all.
Anne-Marie’s leadership exemplifies the power of diversity and inclusion, and we are proud to have her as the president of the ACEI.
Check out the full article to learn more about her journey and the impact she’s making on both the local and global stages! Read about here.
A public consultation has commenced on a review of Building Regulations, Technical Guidance Document L (Conservation of Fuel and Energy) Dwellings and Technical Guidance Document F (Ventilation).
Calculations in 2023 resulted in advanced cost optimal levels for major renovations to dwellings. In accordance with the EPBD, where more than 25% of the surface area of the building envelope undergoes renovation, the energy performance of the whole building should be improved to cost-optimal level in so far as this is technically, functionally and economically feasible.
In order to achieve the 2023 Cost Optimal requirement for major renovations it is intended to implement the performance requirements of a BER of “A3” or cost optimal equivalent works for major renovations to existing dwellings through amendments to TGD L (Conservation of Fuel and Energy) Dwellings and TGD F (Ventilation)
Further information including the proposed revised Technical Guidance Documents, a Regulatory Impact Analysis and templates for submission of comments may be found here.
Submissions and comments on the review should be sent by email to climateaction@housing.gov.ie The closing date for the receipt of submissions and comments is no later than 5:30 p.m. on Monday 03 February 2025 .
The EFCA Barometer provides essential insights into market trends and challenges across Europe, enabling stakeholders to navigate the evolving economic landscape effectively.
Read about it here.
We are proud to announce that the ACEI Future Leader Award has been renamed to honour Derrick Edge, a former ACEI President and dedicated champion of emerging engineering talent.
Why Future Leaders Matter
Future leaders are at the forefront of tackling the critical challenges of our time—from housing and infrastructure to the climate crisis.
Are you an aspiring leader ready to make an impact? The 2025 Future Leader Award is now open for applications! Share your work, showcase your talent, and step into the spotlight as one of the engineering leaders of tomorrow.
Award Criteria
The 2025 ACEI Consulting Engineer Future Leader award will be presented to a consulting engineer with excellent communication skills, business acumen, technical capabilities and strong ethical values. The award competition is a great opportunity to showcase your experience to date, add value to your credentials and be publicly recognised as a rising talent by the senior leaders in your profession.
Candidates are required to submit a written application including:
• A description of the qualities and skills you believe you possess that meet the criteria of an ACEI Future Leader (max 400 words);
• An outline of the main challenges currently facing the consulting engineering profession in Ireland and how you think they could / should be addressed and the role that ACEI could play in this context. (max 600 words);
• A description of a project in which you played a key consulting engineering role. Demonstrate clearly how you met the client’s brief and brought excellence in design, innovation, sustainability, health and safety and value for money to the project (max 1200 words). Photos / images can also be included.
Entries should also include up to two other pages containing the following information:
- Full name and date of birth of applicant;
- Name of ACEI member company;
- Qualifications obtained to date and CPD courses undertaken;
- Brief career history including dates, company name(s) and position(s) held;
- Professional memberships and voluntary committee / organisation activities;
- Signature and supporting statement (max 200 words) from an ACEI Fellow (FConsEI).
To qualify for the competition applicants must satisfy the following criteria:
- Be a Chartered Engineer; Be 35 years of age or under on 31st March 2025;
- Have four or more years relevant experience;
- Be employed in an ACEI member company;
- Be supported by an ACEI Fellow Professional Consulting Engineer (FConsEI).
Future Leader 2025 Applications collated in one pdf document should be sent by email to: louise.patterson@acei.ie not later than 5pm on Friday 31 January 2025
The ACEI will set up an adjudicating panel to assess the applications and may chose a shortlist of up to five candidates. The short-listed candidates will need to make themselves available to undertake an interview with the panel in early February 2025 where two or three finalists will be selected. The finalists will be invited to submit their entry to the EFCA Future Leaders Award. The overall ACEI winner will be formally announced at the ACEI Annual Awards Dinner on 28th March in the Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin 4.
ACEI, 30 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2 : Louise.patterson@acei.ie
The European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA) is pleased to announce the launch of its paper, “Carbon-Neutral and Responsible AI: The Energy Efficiency Challenge in Emerging Digital Technologies.”
This landmark document addresses the pressing energy demands posed by the exponential growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and frontier technologies, and presents recommendations for balancing disruptive innovation with sustainability
The paper highlights critical challenges, including the embodied carbon footprint of emerging technologies, the strain on urban energy grids, and the environmental impact of data centres. It calls for smarter planning, collaboration between policymakers and industry, and tangible solutions such as energy-efficient data centres and improved server utilisation.
EFCA’s Director General, Sue Arundale, says “AI and digital technologies are showing immense potential, but their rapid adoption must not exacerbate the climate emergency. This paper focuses on energy efficiency measures that do not threaten innovation. It also highlights the unsustainable increase in water use, which must be tackled with the same urgency.”
The recommendations align with existing European policies, including the Energy Efficiency Directive (EU/2023/1791), the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1364 on reporting requirements for data centres, and the European Green Deal. All of these ensure that sustainable practices are integrated into the digital transformation. EFCA also calls for an EU-wide expert group to guide collaborative efforts in tackling these challenges.