Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Carvill for his presentation. We all know the State has suffered the consequences for its traditional failures to transpose EU directives or to infringe on the rules and regulations of the EU in various ways. We have sullied our reputation internationally. That would not have gone down well with the people who represent us in Brussels. What is more, it is a lengthy and expensive process. Mr. Carvill may argue that the political will did not exist to do the job of work. In terms of potential litigation and the associated costs, what are the potential savings from the implementation of this legislation on habitats? Could Mr. Carvill give examples of the costs involved in recent times as a result of our failure to apply the EU directives and contrast that with the cost of implementation in this area?