Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I want to draw the attention of Senator Byrne, who is a learned legal person, to article 4 of the directive with which Ireland failed to comply in 2009. The adviser on that occasion, the Attorney General, was Paul Gallagher, senior counsel, a very eminent Attorney General in the Senator's Government. Article 4 states that member states shall take the necessary measures to ensure that waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health and without using processes or methods which could harm the environment, and in particular: without risk to water, air or soil, or to plants or animals; without causing a nuisance through noise or odours; or without adversely affecting the countryside or places of special interest.