Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy continually talks and tells everybody else that they should listen. A small number of Independent Deputies made a request last Monday week. As the Deputy is well aware, I said last week that when the mediation process was established, both sides were asked to enter unconditional talks, with no conditions attached by either side. Both sides indicated they were interested in doing so and the people representing Shell to Sea refused to sit down face-to-face with Shell to have those talks. That is a fact, which can easily be verified. As I know the Deputy does not want to mislead the House, he should not talk to me in this House about not being willing to talk to anybody. Unless someone is saying what Shell to Sea wants him or her to say in this House, its representatives do not want to listen.

The local people the Deputy represents had genuine concerns and everything that could possibly be done to allay those concerns was done. I listened to them through third parties, through their spokespersons and through their public representatives, and I responded positively. Some of them have not moved an inch. Some of them have and are certainly less concerned following the report of Advantica Consultants, mediation, consultation and everything else. I will not try to satisfy Shell to Sea supporters, who represent a loose conglomeration of political activists from Sinn Féin, anarchists affiliated to various environmental groups etc. While they are entitled to their view, my concern has always been for the local people who had genuine fears and concerns. I have tried to address those concerns. While some people are not satisfied, I can do nothing further in that regard. I am sorry that some people do not seem to be able to get that message.

The amendment we are discussing is fairly minor and technical, and is designed to clarify. Any Bill brought before the House sets out various principles and objectives. In some cases they cannot be done immediately on enactment of the Bill. One good example relates to the provisions dealing with the installers, safety etc. Discussions are ongoing to make this as effective as possible and to try to prevent it from becoming too bureaucratic. By the time the Bill has passed through the Seanad, those talks may have been completed and we might be able to commence the section fairly quickly or it might take somewhat longer. However, in such cases where we are trying to tease out some of the details, it makes sense to have a commencement date. That is all that is proposed in this amendment.

I take the point made by the Deputies on the danger of going down a particular route and having commencement dates for individual sections. It is always a danger that matters will drag on. The alternative is to shelve the Bill until all the details are worked out and then come back to try to get the Bill passed through the House, which does not make much sense either. I assure Deputies, who have put considerable work into the Bill, as have my officials and I, that it is intended to have all the provisions brought into effect as quickly as is possible and feasible. There is no desire to delay any of them. Some of them are extremely important.

Deputy Durkan has been very consistent in his proposals in trying to ensure we have Oireachtas scrutiny of Bills. All of the orders will be required to be laid before the Oireachtas as a matter of course. Some of them need to be affirmed and some of them will be implemented if not opposed. It allows for scrutiny of the detail. While the Deputy has an interest in all sections, I know he has a particular interest in the section relating to installers and the safety aspect.

I will take another provision that was mentioned, that of combined heat and power.

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