Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

My question is on subhead A3, which relates to the funding of the EPA. I welcome the Minister of State's note that the salaries have increased and there are 90 extra personnel in the EPA, which is very welcome. I hear frequently from all sectors of society that there is a slowness in the process of the EPA in terms of issuing licences, decision making and so on. We are in a situation in which we need to act very quickly to progress climate action and do what we need to do.

The Minister of State may not be able to answer my question today, but perhaps he will revert to us. Has a needs analysis been done of the EPA? Is it sufficiently funded to do what we need it to do, as quickly as we need it to do it?

I appreciate that it may not be a question the Minister of State can answer here and now but the committee would welcome that level of information from the Department.