Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister. It is always gratifying to see a Waterford man in a senior position. While we have sparred with one another on numerous occasions, and will no doubt do so again in the future, I wish him continued success.

There is no doubt that there was a need to introduce legislation on waste management and environmental protection in order to bring our laws into line with EU directives. The Bill before us has many merits. I welcome the strengthening of the anti-litter laws and the increased penalties. I also welcome the clarification and strengthening of the functions of the Environmental Protection Agency, bringing the waste-licensing system fully in line with the integrated pollution prevention and control directive. The Bill also places greater emphasis on energy efficiency.

I have no objection to the obligation on local authorities to refuse to collect household waste from a person who has failed to pay the relevant charge. Failure to change the law in this area would have made a mockery of the system. One cannot have a system where one person pays while the person next door does not and is not penalised. Local authorities must be able to take action in such circumstances.

I welcome the provisions on the protection of groundwater and the upgrading of water quality. Senator Kitt referred to the importance of the prevention of pollution in our rivers and I welcome the new conditions concerning emissions.

The strengthening of the powers of the EPA will place a significant burden on it Will additional resources be put in place for the agency? There is no point increasing its powers if it does not have the resources necessary to implement them.

I welcome the ban on flyers. Is it an offence to paste posters to poles? This is a dreadful practice because posters are often left in place for a long time and, as Senator Brady stated, in many instances one does not know who is responsible. The practice should be banned completely.

There are many provisions of merit in the Bill, but I do not support the section which makes the review and variation or replacement of waste management plans an executive rather than a reserve function. This is a negation of democracy and a further erosion of local democracy. This provision transfers responsibility for an area which affects every community to an un-elected person to whom the public will have little or no redress. This is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut and it surely flies in the face of the concept of better local government, to which the Government, in its current and previous incarnations, has paid lip service.