Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Section 7 of the Bill imposes a range of obligations regarding petroleum undertakings on operators and owners. These obligations include an obligation on an operator or owner to take suitable measures, including suspending an activity where the activity poses an immediate danger to human health or significantly increases the risk of a major accident.

Section 15(2) of the Bill already provides that where an operator or owner takes such a measure, it shall notify the CER within 24 hours. The section also provides that the CER can determine the form such a notification should take and what information should accompany it. As there is an existing provision to report to the CER, this amendment is unnecessary and, therefore, I do not propose to accept it.