Former Tanaiste Mary Coughlan has become a green lobbyist

Former Tanaiste and Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan has set up her own consultancy havoing become a lobbyist.

Yesterday’s Sunday Times told how the Mountcharles woman, who was first elected a TD in 1987, has recently iled her first return with the Lobbying Register

Coughlan revealed a meeting with the environment minister, Denis Naughten, before the Dail’s summer recess. At that meeting, Ms Coughlan is said to have lobbied on behalf of Cre, the Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Association of Ireland.

“I have one or two others, but I haven’t needed to make any other returns yet,” she told the Sunday Times.

Coughlan – who lost her seat in 2011 – has set up Coughlan Consultancy Ltd and lobbied to promote the use of brown bins on behalf of Cre, who have been critical of the government’s decision to postpone the pay-by-weight bin charges.

Cre want improved access to composted material so they can turn it into energy.