Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

Amendment No. 36 deletes the definition of safety case from section 39, as amendment No. 4, which we have already discussed and agreed, proposed to insert this definition in the interpretation section.

On amendment No. 37, I agree with the principle underpinning the amendment, which is that the new safety regulatory framework should be transparent in its development and operation. The Bill requires the commission to engage in a wide and open process of public consultation when it is developing the safety framework and when developing the guidelines relating to the preparation of safety cases. In both processes the public will have access to the commission's proposals and will have the opportunity to provide their views and to influence the outcome of the process. I believe that to be important and appropriate.

The safety framework will set out the systems and procedures to be operated by the commission in designation and regulation of petroleum activities. The commission will then assess individual safety cases against the approved safety framework.

It is envisaged that the process of assessing individual safety cases will be an iterative process. That process may involve the commission requiring a petroleum undertaking to revise or add to its initial proposed safety case before the commission would be prepared to grant a safety permit. While that type of iterative process does not lend itself to a public consultation phase in the way that, for example, a planning process would, it provides an opportunity for the strengthening of the final safety case.

The approach being proposed is consistent with the approach followed by the Health and Safety Executive in the UK and by the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority in Australia. It is also the approach adopted by the Health and Safety Authority in Ireland in the submission of safety reports to the HSA under the Control of Major Accidents Hazards Involving Dangerous Substances Regulations.

I am conscious of the need to ensure public confidence in the new safety framework. Accordingly, with the aim of ensuring maximum transparency to the process, I propose to bring forward an amendment on Report Stage to establish a system to widen the scope of public access to information in respect of safety cases that have been approved and safety permits that have been issued.