Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has demonstrated that Fianna Fáil is a broad church. I support him in allaying concerns about this part of the Bill. I am hopeful that the ethic of the RPII can improve the ethic of the EPA in regard to the issues I raised earlier. When I criticised the lack of response by certain organs of the EPA it was based solely on the evidence. I was not criticising public servants and I would not like any such inference to be taken from what I have said because I have the highest of respect for public servants. Whenever someone on the other side of the House attacks public servants, I make it my business to defend them. In a previous debate I outlined a story involving a staff member of a local authority who retired after 39 years of service. I challenge anybody in any industry to put forward an employee who gave better service to the public than that individual. I do not like blanket criticism of the public sector based on isolated issues.

I have no issue with the work of the EPA but I have an issue with the fact that it is not carrying out its functions in every case. It does so in many cases, in which regard I acknowledge the comments by Senator Keane and the Minister of State, but the EPA must be completely foolproof because it is charged with protecting our people and an environment that we will be passing on to our children and grandchildren. Nothing less is good enough.