Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 11: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Heritage and Local Government when legislation will be brought forward to deal with noise pollution; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22398/10]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The Government is committed to introducing comprehensive legislation to address noise nuisance. Extensive public consultation was undertaken as part of the preparatory process, during which over 200 submissions were received from the public and key stakeholders. After due consideration of the submissions, the general scheme of a noise nuisance Bill was prepared and approved by the Government in May 2009. At that time, a number of issues that need to be addressed during the drafting of the Bill were identified. My Department, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General, is progressing matters in this regard. The Bill is scheduled for publication later this year. Although a wide range of measures are in place to deal with noise from a variety of sources, it is my aim that the new legislation will take a more integrated approach to noise nuisance, for example, through codes of practice for construction, commercial and domestic situations. In addition, measures will be introduced to increase awareness of how noise nuisance can be addressed. I am examining options to strengthen existing local authority powers, including the introduction of a system of fixed payment notices for noise nuisance offences. As things stand, a person experiencing noise nuisance may contact his or her local authority, which may initiate proceedings on grounds of noise nuisance under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992. The Act provides that any person or group of persons may seek an order in the District Court to have noise giving reasonable cause for annoyance abated. The procedures involved have been simplified to allow action to be taken without legal representation. A public information leaflet outlining the legal avenues available to people experiencing noise nuisance, A Guide to the Noise Regulations, is available on my Department's website, www.environ.ie.