James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The make-up and membership of the advisory council is one of the main flaws in this legislation and it flies in the face of what the Bill is trying to achieve. There will be an advisory council that is basically hand-picked by the Government of the day or by people who have been appointed to various other bodies by the Government of the day. We will end up with a lot of company men and yes-men who will certainly nod and go along with all of the "Yes, sir, no sir, three bags full sir". They are in the know and are in that golden circle, if one likes.

For example, the director general of the EPA comes from a background of representing the incineration industry. She has no qualms about her personal position that she does not see the role of the EPA to be protecting the environment, which is seen in her statement that she does not see the EPA rushing out to prosecute known polluters. Sustainable Energy Ireland has not exactly covered itself in glory in this area either, with a lot of connections and conflicts of interest with regard to the wind energy industry lobby organisation. With regard to Teagasc, as Senator Barrett pointed out, the agricultural sector is not taking the environment seriously. In addition, the director of the ESRI is going to be looking out for big business.

My problem with this concerns the communities where known polluters operate and exist, given they will potentially get licences in the future. They are being protected at the moment and this Bill will go towards protecting them further into the future. If the Government is serious about climate change and having advisory groups and bodies, company men and yes-men are not the way to go. We need the proper, scientific, evidence-based research that is the most up-to-date research on climate change and emissions. We need people who are not there to protect big industry but who have the protection of human health, animal health and the environment at their core.Having these vested interests on the advisory council by way of legislation is the most fundamental flaw in the Bill. It does not inspire confidence in me or in the communities I have been dealing with which have been fighting battles against known polluters in Limerick, especially in the Shannon Estuary area. I support Senator Barrett's amendment, as I believe the Minister of State should do.