Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

The problem here is that when there is a consultation process during the construction of the framework - in other words, when we make general rules concerning safety issues, the putting together of safety cases and getting safety permits from the CER - the chances of communities participating in that process are nil, unless they know the project will affect their area. If we had decided ten years ago to have a public consultation process regarding safety framework issues for national policy on petroleum activity, nobody from County Mayo would have made any contribution. They would have been getting on with their normal lives, whether farming or whatever. It is only when a project threatens a community locally, where a pipeline is to go through its land or its neighbours' land, or when a terminal is being built in an area about which the community has concerns, that people engage.

That is the difference between what I propose and what the Minister proposes. He proposes that we have a public consultation process which will be high level and will not involve local people. People will not focus on it unless their local environment or community is threatened. We are talking about specific projects which are not very common; they are not a-dime-a-dozen. There are very few specific projects of this kind likely to occur in Ireland. One could count them on one hand. Regarding the specifics of a project, the proposal is that it is up to people or organisations to make representations to the CER as opposed to there being a formal information and consultation process.

I believe we are making a mistake here. I recognise the Minister has come some of the way and that he said it is normal practice in most parts of the world not to have consultation processes. However, Ireland is not the same as other parts of the world. We have specific problems in this country in terms of an acceptance of the kind of project we are trying to build in County Mayo. I realise the Minister's concern is that if we open up a public consultation process for every individual project, we will go on for ever. I agree with that concern. That is why we should put a timeframe in place. The problem is that we are going on for ever in any event because local communities, not having been involved at an early stage, develop a resistance to projects. This resistance is sometimes valid, sometimes not, but in my view it could be dealt with by having an earlier public consultation process. Otherwise what will happen is what is happening now. We are still putting public consultation processes in place in County Mayo. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan, still goes down to set up forums and discussions and all the other things that had to be done to try to address people's concerns. That is why I believe the Minister of State is making a mistake on this.

I recognise I come from the minority side of the House so it will be hard to get this changed.

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