Results 18,121-18,140 of 32,978 for speaker:Catherine Connolly
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: How is it diagnosed? When one gets lung cancer, where is the diagnosis? I do not mean to go down the medical route but I ask out of interest. It is a phenomenal figure - 300 cases of lung cancer are linked to the radioactive gas. How did the EPA become aware of that figure?
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: It is an estimate based on scientific fact. If this is the level of radon then this is the correlation with lung cancer.
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: I have a few practical questions. First, I do not think radon and climate change are comparable. There has been much talk about climate change. We need action. On radon, there was a good awareness campaign. When I was a member of Galway County Council, we got quarterly reports on housing which included updates on radon levels. That practice has slipped. I look forward to reading the...
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: I will come back to that issue because I note a couple of million euro was spent on communications. The message from the people and children of Ireland is for something to be done about climate change. We do not need any more dialogue or communication. At least, I do not think we do. The briefing documentation provided refers to a national priority site list which is updated regularly....
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: I thank the witnesses. Is it a new initiative?
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Ms Burke mentioned the agency regulates 800 facilities. Does that include landfill and industrial sites?
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: There are 800 facilities, eight of which are on the priority list.
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Would it be correct to call them non-compliant entities?
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Will Ms Burke clarify how an entity would end up on the priority list?
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: There are eight sites on the national priority list. Do I take it that they are all non-compliant with the licence granted by the agency and the conditions attached thereto?
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: When Ms Burke refers to consideration being given to taking enforcement action, why would such action not be taken if there is non-compliance? The granting of a licence is a rigorous process that takes much time and effort. It has been stated that the EPA needs another 17 people in that context. If there is non-compliance with a licence that has been granted, why is the EPA not taking action?
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: They go on a list first and then a time is assigned.
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: I understand. The EPA assesses the seriousness of the non-compliance.
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Is the EPA reliant on complaints? I refer to the 46% of complaints mentioned earlier.
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: The EPA is reliant on its proactive inspection policy.
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Is Ms Burke happy that proactive inspection policy is up to par? Does the EPA have enough staff to be sure that the 800 entities with a licence are compliant?
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: That is fine. Turning to the topic of communications, I started off congratulating Ms Burke on that, and I still do. On page 87 of this report, however, under the heading of administration costs, more than €1 million was spent on communications. Why does that much money need to be spent on communications? The EPA produces good reports and good facts and figures that speak for...
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Where does the €1 million in funding for communications go? Does it go to private entities?
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: The money is not, therefore, going to public relations, PR, companies.
- Public Accounts Committee: Environmental Protection Agency: Financial Statements 2017 (18 Apr 2019)
Catherine Connolly: Perhaps we could get a list forwarded to the committee of where the funding is allocated.