Limerick TD seeks to make EPA more accountable with new laws

WILLIE O’Dea is to bid to bring legislation holding the Environmental Protection Agency to more account, back to the table.

In the last Dail, the Fianna Fail TD bid to have a section of the act which gave life to the environmental regulator, removed, because, as it stands, it is not liable for civil actions.

The move came following calls from Limerick Against Pollution (LAP), which was set up in opposition to Irish Cement’s €10m plan for Mungret – something which was last month subject to a five-day EPA inquiry.

A ruling from the body is expected by Easter.

“No-one can ever take a civil action against the EPA for a decision they ever made. That's quite unique in Ireland. You don't have this with the Road Safety Authority or various other organisations, or public State bodies. It gives them too much licence, in my view,” Mr O’Dea said.

The dissolution of the last parliament caused Mr O’Dea’s bid for reforms to fall – but now LAP feel Fianna Fail being back in government might give the city TD more leverage.

Mr O’Dea confirmed he will contact his party’s chief whip Jack Chambers in a bid to try and get it on the Dail agenda. “Where an organisation like the EPA is making decisions which are going to impact on people's lives, they should be accountable,” he added. 

Claire Keating, LAP, said: “The EPA should be held accountable for decisions they make.”