Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will tease this out in our processes but I am concerned about the statutory instrument relating to emissions reductions targets for the aviation sector. Was there lobbying in relation to that? Clearly that is a sector that would be concerned about lobbying because there would be financial implications for the airline industry here. We also have a large number of aircraft leasing companies here as well. If there was lobbying, that should be on the public record. My concern is that for the last number of decades, lobbyists all have sight of these directives and are tracking them all the way through. They are making their points and putting forward the case for their people while the public and, in many cases, politicians are not aware that these things are coming down the pipeline. It is only when something gets laid before the Houses that it comes into our consciousness. When we are discussing those statutory instruments, we might be able to get clarification of that. We can also send it on to the sectoral committee and advise it to ask questions as to whether meetings were held and in terms of the register of lobbyists, who made representations in relation to a statutory instrument. I am drawing particular attention to the one relating to the aviation sector. The greenhouse emissions trading allowance system is very complicated stuff but the important issue is transparency. One of the roles of this committee should be to ensure that draft legislation would go up online and a press release would go out from the Chair saying that certain items were considered and are being sent forward to the relevant sectoral committees.

In relation to the ones that are outstanding, are any fines likely to be imposed as a result of late transposition? On the issue of process again, there are outstanding ones from 1 June to November of this year relating to two directives awaiting transposition. One relates to the trans-European transport network and vehicle hire, which is something of great concern to people in Kerry and the tourism industry generally. My concern is that because we are still in a transition phase from the old system, the draft statutory instrument will be put before the Minister, who will be told that it is late and needs to be signed, and it will not come to this committee or the sectoral committee. No one will see it before it is signed.

I do not want to burden the Minister's officials but we should write to the relevant Government Departments and ask them to send on draft statutory instruments when they are available so that we can send them on to the relevant committees. We should give the Departments a copy of our terms of reference and -----