Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

The bodies to be consulted during the designation of petroleum activities and the establishment of the safety framework and guidelines are specified for two reasons. First, such specification will ensure that any potential for regulatory overlap is kept to a minimum. Second, it is important to draw on any specific experience or expertise an individual body might have. A local authority would not generally be in a position to bring petroleum safety expertise to the table. There is no potential for regulatory overlap between a local authority and the CER.

The Bill already provides a basis for the CER to seek input from interested individuals and organisations, including local authorities, when designating petroleum activities and developing safety case guidelines. The critical point is that local authorities can be consulted even though they have no particular or specific expertise in the area of safety statements or frameworks. I assure Deputies that local authorities can be included in the CER's consultation. However, I suggest that to give them some kind of safety or expertise remit would, in effect, be to give them a power that would not be well judged. Such expertise does not reside within such organisations.

I have outlined that, as a result of amendment No. 19, the Bill will provide for a formal public consultation on the development of a safety framework. We have also discussed amendments Nos. 5, 14 and 26, which provide that the Minister may prescribe other bodies that must be consulted. Taking all these factors into account, I am satisfied that the Bill provides that the CER can consult a local authority if it considers it appropriate to do so. Local authorities will also have a good opportunity to independently provide input, if they consider it appropriate to do so. Accordingly, I do not propose to accept these amendments.

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