Green Party deliver petition to Minister for the Environment calling for reform of the EPA

Press Release: Environment 15 March 2006

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Dún Laoghaire, Environment and Justice Press Releases

15 March 2006

Green Party deliver petition to Minister for the Environment calling for reform of EPA

Calls for changes in a number of areas including appeals, prosecutions and appointment procedures

The Green Party has presented a petition, signed by several thousand people calling for the reform of the Environmental Protection Agency to the Minister for the Environment Dick Roche TD.

Introducing the conference Green Party Leader Trevor Sargent TD said, "The Green Party / Comhaontas Glas is committed to creating an EPA which is unequivocal in its remit to protect the environment. With that in mind a number of shortcomings point to the need for reform of the current EPA. The track record of senior EPA directors, the lack of a satisfactory structure to appeal EPA decisions and the derisory fines handed down for breaking environmental law all ring alarm bells for environmentalists.

"This petition calls for major changes in a number of areas including licensing appeals, prosecution procedures and the appointment procedures to the Board of Directors. The Green Party is calling for fundamental legislative changes to allow for the reform of the EPA."

Green Party Environment spokesperson Ciaran Cuffe TD said, "The EPA was established to resolve the dual role of local authorities who were responsible for both environmental monitoring and competing with each other for inward investment. However, the EPA today has ended up negotiating and agreeing licences with Irish industry and subsequently deciding any appeals to the terms of those licences. We believe that the dual role that the EPA has been asked to perform is unacceptable.

"If you compare how the pollution control licensing system works with the planning system you see how fundamentally different they are. In planning decisions, local authorities negotiate with developers and subsequently make a decision. However if anyone believes that the local authority's decision does not comply with national policy, local plans or best practise, they can appeal to An Bord Pleanála. There is no comparable facility of appeal in the pollution control licensing system.

"Under the EPA's current arrangements there is no independent forum of appeal for individuals or local groups who are unhappy with the terms of a pollution control license. We believe that this problem must be addressed."

Green Party Finance spokesperson Dan Boyle TD said, "We believe that the management structure of the EPA needs to be revised. The current organisational structure allows for very little influence from environmental organisations. The EPA is managed day to day by an Executive Board consisting of a Director General and four Directors. An Advisory Committee, which includes one representative from environmental organisations, meets a few times a year and has only an advisory role.

"We believe that EPA's performance could be significantly enhanced if greater powers were given to the "Advisory Board" and more of its members were drawn from environmental groups.

"This organisational restructuring would go some way to addressing the perception that exists in many local communities that the EPA is too close to the business lobby. This perception is reinforced when one looks at the EPA's mission statement which stresses that the agency should always be aware of the economic affects of its actions."

Councillor Mary White Green Party Deputy Leader said, "Unfortunately until the EPA can successfully prosecute industries and impose fines that make a serious financial impact a certain minority of companies will not take environmental protection seriously. The average fine imposed by courts where the EPA successfully prosecuted offenders in 2005 was only €2559. As long as fines remain at that level they will not seriously factor in some companies' decisions.

"The Green Party believes that where serious environmental damage can be shown that six-figure fines should be imposed. In this day and age there is no excuse for large-scale industrial pollution."

Ciarán Cuffe is a TD for the Dún Laoghaire Dáil Constituency. Ciarán can be contacted at Dáil Éireann, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 or 96 Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire Tel. 284 6060 or 618 3082, Fax 618 4341, Email Ciaran CiaranCuffe.com, or Text Ciaran on 087 265 2075.