Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's positive response is to be welcomed. We obviously have a bit of work to do between now and Report Stage but it is probably better to pass it now on Committee Stage and do that work in the meantime. We do not just have to work on this but there are a number of aspects to the Bill where with a bit of dialogue and behind the scenes work, we can cut down on the number of amendments on Report Stage. It is true that the competent authority has the power to deal with this but it is sufficiently important to have this grounded in the Statute Book anyway, particularly when we all know that the DAA's intention is to use this legislation to attempt to lift the night noise restrictions. We have to be clear that one of the reasons the present noise insulation scheme is so limited and ineffective is precisely because there was a protection provided by the night noise restrictions and any loosening of one will necessarily require a much bigger investment in insulation and so on. It is important and it is in line with the balanced approach.

I like section 3 of the amendment, particularly the idea of the residents having access to an appeals mechanism around the noise insulation scheme. I know that there is an overall appeals process within An Bord Pleanála but that does not negate a separate and easily utilised mechanism around insulation which residents can access because as the airport grows the scheme will have to be accessed more readily. Having that grounded in the Statute Book is a good thing in that regard. It is good that there has been some progress and we need to make more progress between now and Report Stage.