Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support these important amendments brought forward by Deputy Clare Daly around mitigation plans. It has been a while since we have had a chance to discuss the Bill. I have taken another look at the European noise directive and the 2006 regulations. It is striking that the regulations appointed the Environmental Protection Agency to be the national authority for all noise. One of the fundamental problems with the Bill is that we do not have any information about noise levels. What are the kinds of levels on the noise maps which circulate out from the airport itself? This whole area is at the heart of what we are discussing. There is a later amendment from Deputy Clare Daly that is precisely on that point. I believe we will have to come back to this legislation again in another Dáil as it is fundamentally misguided.

I note that some of our journalist colleagues have reported - through a freedom of information request - in TheJournal.ieonline newspaper on memoranda given to the Minister from his officials describing concerns about appointing Fingal County Council as the noise regulator. The council itself had a fundamental concern that it should not be designated as the noise regulator for the airport because of the massive conflict of interest, of which we are all aware. The memoranda from the officials to the Minister gave the Minister the lines of attack we on this side of the House would launch in relation to the conflict of interest.

The Bill proposes legislation that is not sustainable for the longer term. There are those of us who want sustainable development of the airport region, of Fingal and of north Dublin and we want to ensure that residents have peace. It is astonishing that no noise levels are indicated and that the Minister is picking a regulator that is conflicted. It is also astonishing that colleagues have to come to this House to table a series of amendments to ensure the regulator will take a proactive role in responding to concerns about noise levels.

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