Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I will be brief because a lot of the questions I wanted to ask have been asked.

I commend RTÉ for what was really good investigative journalism and an important public service. That we are not strong on environmental regulations enforcement is something we can see at Government level. There is another report out today, the latest from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. We are doing well in meeting the social targets, but when it comes to environmental targets, we are ranked very poorly. We are ranked particularly badly under the headings of responsible consumption and production, the waste target set within the sustainable development goals. This is an independent finding in one of many reports. We have a problem at Government level. The programme highlighted a problem in the regulation of industry, in this case, the waste industry. We also have a problem at local level.

I must say to the representative from County Donegal that I love the county. I go there every year and it is most spectacular. I will never forget a walk I took around Bloody Foreland a couple of years ago when the amount of fly-tip waste strewn around the place was just incredible. It was heart-wrenching that such a beautiful place had been ruined. That is just a personal experience, but it brings home the various levels at which we need to take environmental regulations enforcement seriously. I am very interested in the issue of intimidation, about which it is critical that we hear more. It is a real concern. How can we regulate if people are being intimidated? How can we have laws that will work?

I have two or three further questions. I wish to ask the local authorities, Offaly and Donegal County Councils, about the fly-tipping issue which I know is slightly different from the one highlighted in the programme. Yesterday I talked to somebody about the issue of enforcement of litter and fly-tipping regulations. The example about which we spoke was that when council proceeded with a prosecution, a €100 fine was applied. It costs the guts of €800 to go through the process. Does that hamper regulation, or are the councils happy with the regulations for fly-tipping and the ease with which they can prosecute?

I was very taken by what Mr. O'Leary said about the way the industry had changed. Does he believe a change in legislation is needed? Does he have any advice for the Legislature if, as he says, we have moved from a largely council-led public waste collection service to a privatised system? Does the EPA have any view or are there particular suggestions as to how we might tighten the provisions in legislation to take account of the fundamental change that has occurred in recent years?