Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State believes the agency has sufficient powers to adequately regulate and monitor such facilities. I believe that is not being done by the EPA, certainly not in terms of the Irish Cement site in Limerick. An emissions monitoring service has only recently been installed in the Mungret area. That should have been in a long time ago.

I want to quickly address three elements. First, I ask that Irish Cement now engage properly with the residents living in the area on this licence. It is the minimum they require and should be in the form of a public meeting to address people's concerns and deal with the lack of trust the public in the greater Mungret, Dooradoyle and Raheen area have in what is happening in Irish Cement. Second, I ask that the Minister of State looks at the laws for the operation of the facility. The EPA should come before the council looking for permission. Third, will the Minister of State give a commitment that the level of resources provided to monitor what is happening regarding emissions from heavy industries like the Irish Cement site in Mungret will be enhanced, because as of now it is inadequate?This is about public health and the concerns of people living in the Mungret, Dooradoyle and Raheen areas for themselves and their children. We cannot have houses built virtually right up alongside the Mungret Irish Cement plant. People are worried about their health. It is the least they deserve. I also encourage those in the area who have concerns to make submissions to the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. It is critically important that the EPA grants an oral hearing to the residents and the Limerick Against Pollution group when it makes its draft decision. These are reasonable people.