Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This did come up in the course of our earlier discussions and one agency having responsibility for the development of the circular economy programme seemed strange to me. I know the agency would have particular responsibilities and I can see why it might get mentioned in the legislation but the way it reads at the moment, the Minister presents the strategy and the EPA produces the programme. The EPA is not an agency that has the leverage that would be necessary, outside of its own statutory functions which, of course, are important. In terms of what the EPA can do in respect of another public body, its powers are referred to on page 15. It can furnish a copy of the programme to any other public body that, in its opinion, has an interest in the programme which is not the most intrusive form of leverage that one could envisage. I can see why this was referred to in our report and why Deputy O'Rourke has tabled this amendment. There is some merit in it.