Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I was disgusted and furious yesterday at 5.30 p.m. to receive a notice from the office of the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Simon Coveney, saying Seanad Éireann declines to give the Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill a Second Reading. I am disgusted because it is undemocratic. Several weeks ago, I brought the Bill to the House. I first informed the House. The Bill was prepared and ready. There have been many weeks during which the Minister or the Department could have consulted with me or my team to discuss the Bill if there were shortcomings. It is an issue of marine pollution. Other countries such as the UK, the Netherlands and Italy are already working on similar Bills. The Minister said my Bill is breaching Articles 34 and 35 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Based on the precautionary principle, Article 36, it is fine. It is a simple Bill, designed to pass through the House. It is relatively straightforward. The Minister said he would do the be all and end all for the marine environment and fisheries. He has not. He has had years. He now is responsible for a housing crisis, which he is not managing. He certainly is not managing my Bill because at 5.30 p.m. on the day before the Bill was to be debated, he informed me that he wanted the Bill killed.