Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The most important issue is the environment which must be protected for future generations and who is charged with looking after it. My experience with the EPA has been quite positive, a point I also made yesterday. The EPA puts many documents and correspondence online which means it is more transparent than before. The director general appointed several years ago has made positive strides in the organisation and has recently won an award. The EPA cannot be blamed for everything that goes wrong because sometimes it makes a recommendation but, due to a lack of funding from central government, it cannot tackle pollution.

The Minister called for a special report on the issues about Portlaoise raised yesterday. This should be done anywhere an issue is flagged. I had a similar case with a waste facility where people complained to me about odours. The EPA went to the ends of the earth to make the company change doors and machinery to reduce the odours emanating from the facility.