Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, Chairman. I welcome the representatives from the EPA here today. I invited the EPA here a number of months ago to discuss a number of the issues with which we are dealing today. I welcome its report. Would the EPA agree with me that the confidence of the public in its role as the protectors of the environment is paramount to the success of the organisation? On the number of inspections and visits, is a visit classed as an inspection or is there a difference between them? In the well-put-together presentation that was furnished, the agency indicated it had carried out 1,370 visits and that there were 12 prosecutions as a result of that. My rough mathematical calculations put that at 0.009% of visits resulting in prosecutions. To me, that either means the people with whom the EPA are dealing, mainly those in industry, are highly compliant or else there is something wrong in the system.

On the concern of the public in many counties across this country, can the director give his view as to whether the EPA has the public confidence of the people in Kildare, Limerick and Cork, as already alluded to, in Tipperary, as I will allude to, and in Co. Laois with which I will deal in greater detail in a moment? Could the director also clarify who carries out the inspections for the EPA? Does the EPA carried them out itself or are they farmed out to private consultants? If they are farmed out - I understand that they are - how are these people selected? What expertise do they have and what is the reporting mechanism to the EPA? Is it a fact that only one in three facilities are monitored on an ongoing basis and some are only monitored once a year?

Is it also a fact that advance warning is given to industries before the EPA goes into the premises to inspect? If that is the case, how much advance warning do they get?

On septic tanks, I am reading from a press release issued by former Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr. Phil Hogan, on 1 July 2013 which indicates that there are 497,000 septic tanks in the country, of which 446,000 were registered at that point and I note from the report that 987 inspections were carried out. That is roughly 2%. If we continue like this, it will take 50 years to carry out inspections of all septic tanks in the country. Can the witnesses respond to that and can they further indicate to me whether the people doing the inspections are EPA staff or staff from the local authorities who have been trained to do this work?

On prosecutions, the witnesses indicated that a number of cases have gone to the High and Supreme Courts. Are these on licence issues or other issues? Can the witnesses tell us what companies are involved? It is referred to in page 9 of their report.

There was an independent review on air quality. Who carried out that review and how independent was it?

Will the witnesses update the committee on the ongoing complaint about the Enva waste recycling plant in Portlaoise, into which the Minister called for an investigation earlier this year amid ongoing concerns over unlicensed, unregulated and potentially hazardous open vent emissions from the plant, which is situated in a built-up residential area and commercial district in the middle of Portlaoise? Will the witnesses also tell the committee what has been done to bring this company to heel regarding the problems it is causing within that community?

What is the EPA's overall budget and how much of it is spent on inspection and prosecution? Related to that, how many industry locations are visited by the EPA on each year?