John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The nation holds its breath and people in Portlaoise, in particular, are holding theirs. I commend colleagues who have approached this issue in a non-partisan, apolitical way because it is not only about pollution but also about public health. Our time in this Seanad is running out and it is time for action because the time for reports is over. We need answers to establish why the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, behaves as a lazy, lax, limp and lame lapdog instead of as a watchdog in the public interest. No one watching Mark Coughlan's report on "Prime Time" last Thursday night could have had a scintilla of confidence in the so-called Environmental Protection Agency. I do not and those at the top, including the director of environmental enforcement and the director general, should step aside if they have any respect for their jobs or the organisation they purport to represent. The programme was a great example of public service broadcasting, but it should not have taken the perseverance of the journalist to bring this issue into public view.

We first tabled motions on the issue in the House two years ago when Mr. Phil Hogan was Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. Three reports were ordered by him and his successor, but on each occasion, the EPA came back stating, "There is nothing to see here. Everything is squeaky clean. You can sleep easy in your beds." The people of Portlaoise are not sleeping easy in their beds. One does not need to have won an award at the young scientist exhibition last week or to be a rocket scientist to know that if one boils oil at 80, 90 or 100 degrees, the toxins and carcinogens emitted will not good for people's health. This is wrong; it is a scandal and needs to be addressed. It needs to be stopped. We have a responsibility in that regard. I commend the Leader for running on orderly and good House. He has facilitated us previously by bringing in Ministers on umpteen occasions to address this issue, but the EPA continues to dodge and duck and fail to answer the question. It has failed to do its job and protect the public interest.