Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

This amendment to the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 enables the Minister to make regulations governing appeals to An Bord Pleanála under the Act in respect of decisions by a local authority on the licensing of trade effluent or sewerage discharges to waters under section 4. Section 6 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 already provides for making regulations for licensing under section 4 and appeals under section 8 but does not contain explicit provisions for oral hearings and appeals procedures. The additional provisions enable regulations to be made for procedural matters for appeals, such as public notification requirements, time limits for the holding of oral hearings of an appeal, the conduct of oral hearing by a person appointed by the board or other related matters. Such provisions will bring the 1977 Act into line with provisions under section 67 of the Water Services Bill 2003 for appeals to An Bord Pleanála on the licensing of trade effluent discharges to sewers. It will facilitate streamlining and standardisation of respective legislative codes for ease of access and application.