James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I cannot see any reason why this amendment will not be accepted by the Minister of State. It seems reasonable that an advisory council that is being set up by the Government will be consulted. This is what the whole idea of setting up an advisory council should be. Section 7(2)(b) provides that the Minister shall consult but the Government does not have to. I do not see where that gets us. I have certain issues with some of the members that will be on the board of the advisory council and with appointments to positions in the Environmental Protection Agency. I do not like what this may lead to. It may lead to a clandestine, "behind closed doors" situation where vested interests have a greater influence in this sector than people who are concerned about the environment. A lot of people involved are the polluters that the legislation is trying to control, and they are very influential. They make a lot of money. Before decisions are made, the advisory council, even though it may not be perfect in its constitution, should be consulted if it is supposed to be an advisory council for the Government, and not just overlooked.