Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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516. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has reviewed a judgment (details supplied); his plans to introduce primary legislation to deal with the issues raised therein; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43615/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The judgment of 20 September 2019 referred to by the Deputy set aside both S.I. No. 4 of 2019 and S.I. No. 12 of 2019, which were enacted by my Department and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government respectively, and which jointly sought to make the Environmental Protection Agency the single competent authority for peat extraction over 30 hectares in Ireland. Both Departments are giving the judgment, and potential responses on the part of Government, detailed consideration and have sought legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General. That formal advice has now been received and will inform both Department's deliberations on next steps.