Michael Mulcahy (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)

The Bill should also make other actions mandatory. I strongly support a proactive role for local authorities on noise control enforcement day and night. When I was Lord Mayor of Dublin in 2001-02, I visited London with an official from Dublin City Council to examine how Westminster City Council operates in this area. The Westminster council has noise patrols that operate 24 hours a day and citizens can call these patrols to deal with the issue of noise.

I compliment the Government on acknowledging this is a good Bill and on accepting it for its Second Stage Reading. This demonstrates the Government is open to good ideas, unlike other parties. Some of these have put forward bad ideas to the Government and expected them to be adopted. The Government has an open mind on good ideas, as has been proven by its support for further reading of this legislation.

I strongly believe in the Green agenda and I hope this is the beginning of a deeper relationship between Fianna Fáil and the Green Party for the future.

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