Results 1-12 of 12 for epa speaker:Paul McAuliffe
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (7 Mar 2024)
Paul McAuliffe: ...concerned when I saw media coverage on the removal of soil from Dublin Airport. Obviously, that was a decision made by the DAA in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and Fingal County Council. The response from the Department outlines that this is an operational matter for the DAA but it does not address the concern and remit of this committee around the potential...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Issues Surrounding Water Quality and Supply: Discussion (4 Oct 2022)
Paul McAuliffe: We are dealing with issues surrounding water quality and supply. From the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, we are joined by Dr. Tom Ryan, Mr. Noel Byrne, Ms Mary Gurrie and Dr. Michelle Minihan. From the HSE, we are joined by Ms Ann Marie Part, Dr. Deirdre Mulholland and Ms Deirdre Lavin. The opening statements have been circulated to members. I will begin with a note on...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Issues Surrounding Water Quality and Supply: Discussion (4 Oct 2022)
Paul McAuliffe: .... I want to turn to the issue of bathing water quality. We have not covered it in depth. In 2019 there was a series of meetings between Dublin city councillors, the HSE, Irish Water and the EPA, regarding some concerns around bathing water quality. It was very unfortunate that on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Liffey swim, there was an incident involving Fingal County...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Issues Surrounding Water Quality and Supply: Discussion (4 Oct 2022)
Paul McAuliffe: Can Ms Gurrie clarify who issues the restrictions on bathing between the EPA and the HSE?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Issues Surrounding Water Quality and Supply: Discussion (4 Oct 2022)
Paul McAuliffe: ...there been any assessment in terms of a terrorist attack? A person could essentially pollute 40% of Dublin's water supply by walking onto a site that has low level security. Is that something the EPA or the HSE has a role or involvement in or are they aware of anything at a more strategic level?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Issues Surrounding Water Quality and Supply: Discussion (4 Oct 2022)
Paul McAuliffe: Speaking of cumulative effects, we have run over time. I thank our witnesses from the EPA and the HSE for their answers. We will now suspend the meeting for a moment, which will allow our witnesses from Irish Water to take their seats.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Issues Surrounding Water Quality and Supply: Discussion (4 Oct 2022)
Paul McAuliffe: ...for both questions and answers. I will take the first slot myself. Mr. Gleeson has outlined some of the improvements that Irish Water has made, but having heard previous speakers from the EPA and the HSE, there is no doubt that there is a significant challenge remaining, with more than 500,000 people having what can be described as an "unsatisfactory" level of water quality. We have...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Issues Surrounding Water Quality and Supply: Discussion (4 Oct 2022)
Paul McAuliffe: The first time a member of the public becomes aware that there might be an issue is if there is discoloration, a smell or a taste in the water. The EPA and the HSE outlined their role in the overall process in terms of issuing boil water notices and so on. How does Irish Water escalate reports that come into its call centre? In recent weeks, for example, across Clontarf, some parts of the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Issues Surrounding Water Quality and Supply: Discussion (4 Oct 2022)
Paul McAuliffe: You might have heard the question I put to the EPA and the HSE regarding the security risk at water treatment facilities and whether we had sufficient cybersecurity and physical security in place to prevent a malicious attack on somewhere like Ballymore Eustace which provides 40% of our water supplies. Is that something Irish Water can comment on? What measures are in place?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Quality and Infrastructure: Environmental Protection Agency (14 Oct 2021)
Paul McAuliffe: Our witnesses today are from the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. They are: Dr. Tom Ryan, director of the office of environmental enforcement; Dr. Michelle Minihan, senior inspector; Mr. Noel Byrne, programme manager at the office of environmental enforcement; and Ms Mary Gurrie, programme manager at the office of evidence and assessment. Members have been circulated with the opening...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Quality and Infrastructure: Environmental Protection Agency (14 Oct 2021)
Paul McAuliffe: ...at any of the water treatment facilities is at a minimal level. Taking the Ballymore Eustace plant as a particular example, because it serves nearly 700,000 people in Dublin city, does the EPA have any concerns about the threat that could be posed to the water supply of the city by a deliberate attempt to poison the water source or by an attempt to take it offline by way of a terrorist...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Water Quality and Infrastructure: Environmental Protection Agency (14 Oct 2021)
Paul McAuliffe: Obviously a deliberate breach would subsequently come into the remit of the EPA. Would that be fair to say?