Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy very much. That is why, this morning, the Government launched the accelerated infrastructure report. The Minister, Deputy Jack Chambers, has led the charge since this Government was established nearly a year ago with regard to an infrastructure division within the Department of public expenditure. He appointed an external task force led by Mr. Sean O'Driscoll and a number of people from the private sector or involved in State agencies who have first-hand knowledge of the challenges and barriers to development in this country. Its report is comprehensive and it is not any one measure that will change this but the sum of all the measures.

We are going to pass legislation to establish a critical infrastructure Bill. We will also develop legislation around emergency powers being given to Government. There is also a need for concurrent decisions by various State agencies, not sequential ones. In other words, when the planning is going on, the procurement should be going on and the other permits should be sought as well, not one after the other. There is much more in respect of that.

We are also bringing in legislation. Yesterday, the Minister for climate and energy announced, for example, that there is a six-week consultation in respect of capping the fees for judicial reviews and how much the taxpayer ordinarily pays now compared to what should be the case into the future. There are a lot of measures; the issue for us is to implement them over the next 12 months and we are determined to do that. There will be timelines and there will be no hiding place for agencies either. There will be clear instructions given to agencies to do their work. If they do not, a light will be shone upon them for not doing their work.

We always have to keep in mind that the Environmental Protection Agency was established at the time for good reason. I remember it; I think it was back in 1989, 1990 or that period, if I am not mistaken. Why? There was a major incident in a pharmaceutical plant, if I recall. There would have perhaps been plans coming in relation to that but there was always a good rationale as to why agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency were established. We need a planning authority. That is required. The EPA was established in 1992 and I think there was an incident in Ringaskiddy, if I recollect. People cried out for protection. The public wants protection.

With regard to measurement, the Deputy is correct. I was on farms a year and a bit ago where the whole flow is measured right to the estuary by Teagasc and the farmers. In fairness, it is measured every ten minutes. The only thing is that the estuary is still polluted. They are not totally disconnected so we have to be aware of that. In fairness, a lot of metrics from farmers on the ground are quite impressive with regard to what is happening on the farm and things are very more advanced in that regard. Agencies have to work more effectively; there is no question about that.

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