Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when he intends removing the legal immunity enjoyed by the Environmental Protection Agency as per the recommendations in the last EPA review published 18 months ago. [54291/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Review Implementation Plan was published on 31 January 2012 and is available on my Department's website . Implementation of the recommendations is underway. The plan contains a list of actions arising from the review, some of which are a matter for my Department and others which are the responsibility of the EPA and others. I prioritised a large number of actions for implementation in 2012, while others will be considered over a longer period as they will require detailed consultation and possibly primary legislation. Details of the expected timeframes for the implementation of individual recommendations are set out in the implementation plan. The review recommended that the statutory immunity from prosecution, as applicable to the EPA in carrying out its functions, should be reconsidered.  As set out in the implementation plan, I propose to consider this issue, which would require primary legislation if it is decided to progress it, in the latter half of 2013.