Ciaran O’Neill joined ATG Group in 2014 as our Environmental Director. He looks after all our operations in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
What is your job with ATG Group, Ciaran?
I am the Environmental Director.
What does your job entail?
I look after all our compliance and ensure that the company operates within health and safety legislation as well as within the laws on environmental issues. I also look after all our operations in Ireland. That means I am responsible for liaising with clients, contractors and relevant authorities here to ensure each project is successfully completed on time and budget and to the satisfaction of our clients and the relevant authorities.
What did you do before joining ATG Group?
Before joining ATG, I worked for another land remediation company and was there for six or seven years. Prior to that job, my first job was in a lab in Scotland, which was where I was living after graduating in environmental health. I was there for four years and enjoyed it, but I wanted to come home and there wasn’t many opportunities for environmental science lab work here.
What do you love about your job?
There is a fantastic variety in this job. In my previous job, we only dealt with oil spills. While you were working on sites with different types of properties, it was pretty much the same stuff. With ATG Group, we deal with all kinds of contamination. You can be dealing with oil spills today, invasive plant species tomorrow and then brownfield remediation sites the next day. We deal with all types of contamination issues and all sizes of sites: from someone’s back yard to seven to ten acre areas of land. I also love getting out, too. I’m office based, but I get the chance to go and survey and audit them, particularly to check sites are compliant.
What are your plans for the future within ATG Group?
We want to grow as a company, and we have recently taken on a new member of staff. Our plans are to grow the business sustainably. With the services we provide, we will help reduce the lorry loads of waste that goes to landfill, so we are growing while protecting the environment. As well as growing the business, we want to grow the charity we support, Ashes to Gold. We can only do that by growing ATG Group.
What do you do in your spare time?
I’m a big fan of sports, particularly GAA and rugby and golf. The only one I get out and play is golf and cannot wait until we can do that again. My handicap got right down to 12 but it has crept back up. My aspiration is to get it back down again.
What’s your favourite meal?
I eat far too much of everything, but I love a barbecue! It’s one thing I love about the summer… and I’m in charge of cooking!
If you would like to speak to Ciaran about our environmental services in Ireland, contact him here.
