Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The key issues in regard to Fingal County Council not being the competent authority for noise pollution are that it has a conflict of interest in regard to its rates reliance, it does not have the skills and it is not democratic in that it is not the full local authority involved but its CEO. I want to go through some of those points again with the Minister in the hope that he and other Members of the Independent Alliance, who are sitting together tonight and who would have been the voice against corruption and the voice of reason, will see that people have been putting forward a very reasoned argument.

The first is the rates issue. As has been said, the idea that one can receive a significant amount of one's income from one source and be completely honest about that entity does not wash with anybody anymore. To give one example, when Fingal County Council gave permission to Aer Rianta to open up the northern runway, it received €21 million in that development transaction alone. Nobody is saying there is anything wrong with this; it is just a fact that it was reliant on it.

The Minister believes Fingal County Council is competent and has the skills. I will give him a few recent examples of where it was very light touch in protecting residents from noise from the airport. In December it presented a noise action plan to a full council meeting. I wish to refer to a few points about how it responded. The future impact of the northern runway which the council is meant to address in the plans was not included. On the number of dwellings that would be increased in terms of exposure to night-time noise - it was due to be increased by 380% - the council noted it. It did not state anything about it. It did not designate quiet areas, which was another function of the plan. It would not accept a motion from the Green Party on the acceptance of WHO guidelines. That was the debate we just had and the Minister did not accept it either. The council is meant to be independent, but it would not accept a motion in that regard from the Green Party. They are some of the examples from those who have been monitoring the approach of the council in its role of protecting citizens where it has not fulfilled its responsibilities. The EPA would be an appropriate competent authority as it now does noise mapping, but I am willing to go along with the consensus and speak with one voice with the other Deputies.

I invite the Minister to comment on the fact that Fingal County Council has not yet adhered to basic noise guidelines. It just does not wash that the council is competent to be completely in charge of that issue. On who would be competent, the EPA is one possibility. On Committee Stage, skulduggery in dealing with the issue was raised. The Department gave the impression that the EPA had no interest in the issue and did not want to be considered as the competent authority, but in replies to freedom of information requests we found the position to be otherwise. How does it sit with the Independent Alliance to be given very strange information in that regard? I am happy to concede that the Commission for Aviation Regulation would have more knowledge of aviation and be able to fulfil the role.

I wish to finish by commenting on the position of Fianna Fáil which, as others have said, will not go unremarked on. The party speaks as if it is with everybody and the residents, but in the crucial votes, one of which was on the WHO guidelines and now on this amendment, it must decide on which side it is. The party did not support the amendment on Committee Stage and I do not know if it has changed its opinion, but it was extremely sly in the previous vote when it did not indicate any opposition to the amendment but then mobilised some Deputies who then abstained in the vote. It is most disappointing if residents are going to face a grand coalition of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on this issue. It seems that Fianna Fáil will huff and puff, but it will not blow the house down when needed. The amendment is critical and the Minister must listen to the points that have been made about Fingal County Council's role to date and inability to be independent. I was on the council for 11 years and what I say is not a reflection on anyone working in it in any way, shape or form, but it is impossible for it to be independent as it is too connected, in addition to the fact that its rate base and development levies are intrinsically linked with the airport.

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