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

What we want to achieve is a robust regulatory independent body to ensure that an airport that is contributing 20,000 jobs directly and 40,000 jobs indirectly is allowed to develop and grow in a sustainable manner. We need that as an economic driver of this country. Unfortunately we are backed into a corner now. This is time-sensitive, and the reason it is time-sensitive is because of the procrastination by the Minister over the last two years. We want to take this Bill and improve it. That is why we have put forward amendments in that regard. Listening to the Minister's reply in the last few minutes I have concerns about the level of expertise of the staff members that have been sanctioned by the Department. Quite frankly it does not matter to me whether the Minister's Department sanctioned them or the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment did. The Minister is the person responsible for this piece of legislation.

I acknowledge that these members of staff have been sanctioned. That is fine. They have not been recruited. However, I am concerned with the grade of staff that is being sanctioned. In my initial contribution I asked the Minister to outline clearly how we could have confidence that the staff that would be made responsible for conducting and implementing this regulation would have the necessary expertise and qualifications. The Minister is talking about planners and engineers. I have concerns about that and I hope the Minister can clarify that.

It is also worth noting, and it has not been acknowledged by the Minister or indeed by any speaker, that there is an appeals mechanism here. The appeals mechanism is An Bord Pleanála. Ultimately Fingal County Council is not going to be the final decision-maker. There will be an appeals mechanism, that is, An Bord Pleanála, and a further appeals mechanism by way of judicial review. We do not want to have to go that far. We reluctantly acknowledge given the work that has been done in relation to Fingal County Council, that independence can be established by creating a body within Fingal County Council by creating a directorate there which is not answerable to anybody else, which can act independently and which must have the required expertise, skill and knowledge to ensure that this EU regulation is implemented to the letter of the law.

The director would also ensure a balanced approach, that the residents’ concerns were addressed and that noise mitigation measures were implemented, while at the same time enabling the airport to grow and develop. It is now at capacity and if we push this down the line, we will put its further development and jobs in the region at risk. That is why we have proposed the amendments in the way we have and I stand over them.