Seanad debates

Thursday, 16 July 2015

Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage

 

10:30 am

Photo of Denis LandyDenis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have put on the record of this House incidents that occurred in my community going back almost 30 years. I refer to what happened in Hanrahan v. Merck Sharp & Dohme, which ended up in the Supreme Court. The body charged following that case is now the EPA, and it is not doing its job under legislation that was put in place in 1992. There were 11 prosecutions in one year by the EPA across the country, and every one of them was against a local authority. It is as if there is no chemical, pharmaceutical or any other industry in this country. There were only 11 prosecutions, and they were against a local authority. That is unacceptable.

Obviously, the Attorney General has ruled that the amendment will not be accepted for good reason but, mark my words, we will have to take on this entity and make sure it is doing the job it was legislated to do.It is unacceptable to me, and I put the Minister of State on notice about that aspect today.

In regard to the conservation grant, I am shocked and amused about it in some ways. On the one hand, people do not want to pay any money but, on the other hand, they do not want to accept any money, which beggars belief and is beyond comprehension.

Some people who are in political parties understand the political system better than those who were never in them. There has been a lot of commentary on how political parties work, including my party. People seem to think political parties should be the saviours of every issue that comes on the agenda in this country-----

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