Seanad debates

Wednesday, 5 March 2003

Protection of the Environment Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed).

 

A proper waste management plan for the whole country will require proper funding which the Department of the Environment and Local Government must provide. I am very disappointed by the avenue the Minister is going down. The majority of local authorities have passed regional waste management plans. A Senator, who is a member of a local authority, said they have gone down that road. The Minister is now giving the ultimate power to county managers and no one other than him will be able to question their decisions. He will be able to call in county managers and tell them what to do. What will happen if a county manager cannot borrow without the imprimatur of members of the local authority? If local authority members will not sanction borrowing, will the Minister for Finance provide funding? Will county managers have the power to introduce a poll tax? We will not be able to describe it in any way other than a poll tax. It appears from what the Minister is proposing in the Bill that he is getting the county managers to implement a scheme to sort out the waste management problem. There is no doubt the problem needs to be sorted out, but he will allow county managers to use a heavy hand in relation to the matter. What will happen if local authority members do not allow county managers to borrow money?

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