Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important to draw distinctions. Local authorities are the regulators of illegal activity and they have a role to ensure regulatory compliance. However, being regulators does not make them liable for the damage being done by private bodies. It would be impossible to carry out regulation if, as the Deputy suggests, local authorities were to become in some way financially responsible for breaches they discover. That is not their role.

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