Ivan Yates used his media training company to also lobby both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil TDs – including junior minister Niall Collins – in hotel meetings on behalf of an energy company that wanted advice on getting “a favourable planning decision”.
Ex-Fine Gael minister Yates also “exchanged text messages” with Stephen Kinsella – special adviser to then taoiseach Simon Harris and formerly of the Currency – “to arrange a meeting to discuss the role of energy and infrastructure development”.
His podcast co-host Matt Cooper dropped the former bookmaker from Path to Power after the Irish Independent reported he didn’t disclose his work with Fianna Fáil presidential election candidate Jim Gavin.
It’s since emerged he worked with other Fianna Fáil politicians including Micheál Martin. Darragh O’Brien, Norma Foley and James Browne using the same company – Yewtree Infotainment Unlimited – he uses for lobbying.
One company: media training and lobbying
Renewable energy company Regnum Renewables Development last year hired Ivan Yates as a lobbyist through his company Yewtree Infotainment Unlimited.
“Ivan Yates was engaged by Regnum Renewables on 1 January, 2024, to learn about the different ways in which a favourable planning decision can be achieved for renewable projects that are not currently supported by the renewable energy strategy in the relevant county development plan,” according to a lobbying register return filed by Ivan Yates’s company.
Yates met then Fine Gael TD Paul Kehoe at the Riverside Hotel in Wexford on 11 March, 2024.
“They discussed the obstacles confronting wind farm developers on both a national and local scale due to county development plans in Ireland, potential avenues for instigating changes to county development plans and the likelihood of a successful planning application which contravenes a county development plan,” according to the lobbying register.
Yates later met with Fianna Fáil minister of state Niall Collins at Dublin’s Buswell’s Hotel in February this year to discuss its proposed solar farm project in county Limerick.
“Michael O'Sullivan (Regnum) and Ivan Yates (providing advisory services to Regnum) met with TD Niall Collins and councillor Ger Ward, in Buswells Hotel on 19 February, 2025 to outline Regnum's strategy in the area, the timelines and background of the proposed project,” according to a lobbying return.
In April 2025 Yates, along with two Regnum executives met Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan at Wexford’s Ashdown Park Hotel to discuss how to “best engage with the local community”.
Yates and the same two Regnum representatives met with Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne in Leinster House this July. They introduced the company and its “proposed development” to Byrne to “understand how the project would be received” in the local community, according to lobbying records.
Another lobbying register return shows that Yates contacted a special adviser to Simon Harris in summer 2024 to discuss infrastructure development.
“Ivan Yates exchanged text messages with Stephen Kinsella, a recently appointed special advisor to the taoiseach to arrange a meeting to discuss the role of energy and infrastructure development in the coming years,” according to the return filed in September 2024.
Regnum is working on proposals for multiple solar farm projects across the country.
Yates has been contacted for comment.
