Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is a common theme which has gone through nearly all of the contributions, which is the recruitment of the nine members of staff. Some people call it arrogance and some have said it was reckless. It is not arrogant. No staff have been recruited. What has happened is that positions have been sanctioned. That is prudent and a sensible thing to do in anticipation of what we expect to happen in order to introduce noise regulation. It is not arrogance; it is just the approval of various posts which will require certain expertise. It is very important to do that. We should make preparations for something which, as everybody would acknowledge, is urgent. There have been many delays, for which other people and I have been justifiably criticised. In order to alleviate the difficulties and problems caused by that delay, it seems absolutely sensible that, in anticipation of Fingal County Council being set up as noise regulator, we should take measures in preparation for what is going to happen and advertise and sanction these nine posts.

That is neither unwise nor arrogant.

Fingal County Council will be bringing in additional expertise as needed. It will bring in more specialists. I will not get involved in the detail of whom the council brings in, and for what, because that is not my job. It is up to the council to make those types of decisions. To describe the approval for posts as arrogance, as Deputy Munster did, is absurd. It is not arrogance.