Seanad debates

Thursday, 10 November 2022

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

10:30 am

Photo of Sharon KeoganSharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of COP27. I am surprised no other Senator has raised it or spoken about it this week. Climate TRACE, a non-profit organisation, launched a report yesterday at COP27. The report lists a number of Ireland's largest polluters. Obviously, Dublin Airport is top of that list, but a number of places near where I live were also listed, such as the cement factories in Drogheda, Kinnegad and Ballyconnell in County Cavan. Shannon Airport was also mentioned, as were the cement plant in Limerick, Whitegate oil refinery and the Corrib gas field. Those businesses were all mentioned in the report in the context of emissions.

I do not know what we are doing wrong, but we are doing something wrong. There is no point in Micheál Martin going over there and making fancy speeches when he cannot come home and regulate and fine those companies that are creating emissions and causing pollution. In 2014, one of the first motions I put down on Meath County Council called for an Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, office in my region. It is badly needed. We want an EPA office with teeth. At the moment, there are five regional inspectorate offices but they do not have teeth. Who is sent out when a complaint is submitted? The county council. The county councils are inspecting the emissions and pollution that are taking place in their counties. If this happened in the UK, most of those companies would be fined millions of pounds. We need to be tougher on the companies that are causing the most pollution. I went onto the EPA website looking for its compliance and enforcement publications in respect of radiation. The most recent report was back in 2013-14. The EPA needs to be better resourced and have more teeth or what Micheál Martin said this week in Egypt holds little or no value.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.