Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On my amendment, the Minister has sought to delete an element of the Bill that is important to us in opposition and to the people affected by this legislation. In reviewing the amendments from the Seanad, I came to the conclusion that he perhaps, deleted the words, "projected impact", because he did not like them. For this reason, I have modified the wording in the hope that the Minister will be more positive towards the subsection.

The following was deleted in the Seanad:

(c) the likely effect of the identified noise mitigation measures and operating restrictions (if any) is thoroughly evaluated in relation to its projected impact on the well-being and health of local residents;

This legislation is about striking a balance between the need for our airports to develop and the needs of residents to live in a safe environment where their health is not impacted. Section (9)(2) provides that the competent authority shall ensure that the balanced approach is adopted where a noise problem at the airport has been identified and, to that end, shall ensure that, as appropriate, the well-being and health of local residents are protected. When we sought to insert this provision into the legislation on Committee Stage the response of the Minister was that it is was not necessary because well-being and health are covered. This has been his mantra regarding all proposed amendments in regard to health. If, as he has stated on previous Stages, health is covered, why does he now see the need to remove the specific reference to the well-being and health of local residents? This is exposing the Minister in regard to health issues. If health is covered in other ways, the proposed additional reference will not detract from what is provided for in the Bill; rather, it complements and enhances it and it reassures residents.

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