Mr. Feargal Ó Coigligh:

We are talking about an enduring licence so it would be a matter for the EPA to determine its role. Rather than having a fixed renewal period, it is a more open provision vis-à-vis the repeal or review of licences. That is set out under one of the Bill's heads. Such a provision would be available to the EPA if it sees that difficulties are arising. That head may need to be fleshed out further before we get to the final Bill.

Due to the fact that we were introducing the registration system ahead of time, we actually got additional resources for the EPA which are already in place and which will facilitate the enactment of the legislation. It is actually very unusual but this time around it is the legislation itself rather than the provision of resources which has been slow, I am happy to report.