Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will speak to amendment No. 9 in my name which is included in this grouping.

With the exception of Deputy Clare Daly, I have been the Member of the Dáil who has been most vocal on the need to accelerate implementation of the EU regulation which was first requested of the Government almost four years ago.

I have repeatedly raised this issue with the Minister by way of parliamentary questions, priority questions, oral questions and written questions. The manner in which he has handled the matter to date has contributed to the anxiety, fear and worry of the residents who need to be protected. He has left us in a position where there is an urgent requirement at the 11th hour to have this EU regulation transposed onto the Irish Statute Book. The Minister has even missed the timeline he set out last July and continues to miss every timeline he has set down. He changes as he goes along.

In February 2018, the Minister first indicated that Fingal County Council would be made the competent authority. I raised concerns then about the council's capacity and whether it would have the relevant expertise to ensure it would be independent and address the concerns of neighbours and residents, while at the same time allowing the airport to develop and grow. We cannot ignore that the airport directly employs 20,000 people and indirectly employs a further 45,000 people. It is, therefore, of great strategic importance not just to the local economy and the livelihoods of many people living in close proximity to it but also to the economy as a whole. We are an island nation and given the serious uncertainties arising from Brexit, we need to realise how important a role Dublin Airport plays.

As I said, we raised the issue of the expertise as opposed to independence of Fingal County Council. If we were to go down the route that other Deputies are suggesting, we would decide that Fingal County Council and every other county council could not adjudicate planning applications independently or fairly because all planning applications have the potential to deliver returns by way of development levies or commercial rates if the building or development in question is allowed to progress. We are effectively saying that every decision a council will ever take could be compromised because it would have a financial net benefit to the local authority.

I put forward my amendment in conjunction with my colleague who represents the area to ensure there is independence. One of the reasons given for designating Fingal County Council as the competent authority as opposed to other entities such as the Commission for Aviation Regulation, CAR, and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, was the council's capacity to build a Chinese wall and have a dedicated, independent body operating within the organisation. For this reason, we have tabled specific amendments on this matter to ensure there is independence.

I ask the Minister to indicate what will be done to ensure the necessary expertise and capabilities will be acquired, sourced or recruited for Fingal County Council.

What structure does he envisage within Fingal County Council if this legislation is passed? Time is of the essence in this matter and that is the fault of the Minister and the Government rather than anyone on this side of the room. We have a responsibility to ensure that a robust and independent regulatory regime is put in place to facilitate the sustainable growth of a major strategic economic hub on which tens of thousands of people within the constituency in which the airport is located and much further afield depend for their livelihood and income. We depend on the airport to grow in order to facilitate further connectivity and our tourism industry. How does the Minister propose to ensure that Fingal County Council will have an independent unit which will be adequately staffed by employees with the necessary expertise and capabilities to ensure that residents' concerns will be dealt with in a balanced manner as stipulated in the EU regulation?