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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 9 Apr 1981

Vol. 328 No. 8

Dumping at Sea Bill, 1980: From the Seanad.

This Bill was passed by the Dáil and amended in the Seanad. The House must make an order for consideration of the Seanad amendments either today or on a future date. Perhaps the Minister will propose a date for taking the amendments.

This is quite a simple amendment.

We must get agreement on the amendments being taken now.

We have no disagreement.

Ordered: That the Seanad amendments be taken now.
The Dáil went into Committee to consider amendments from the Seanad.

I move that the Committee agree with the Seanad in amendment No. 1:

In subsection (7), page 5, line 18, "of this Act" deleted.

This is a simple and innocuous amendment and I do not see any point in opposing the insertion of these words in subsection (7). The keeping of a register in itself will not solve the problem. We agree to amendment No.1 and amendment No.2.

Question put and agreed to.

I move that the Committee agree with the Seanad in amendment No. 2:

In page 5, between lines 37 and 38, the following subsection inserted:

"(9) (a) The Minister shall cause to be established and kept a register and shall cause to be entered in the register particulars of all permits granted under this section.

(b) The register kept under this section shall be open to inspection by the public at all reasonable times."

In the Seanad debate an amendment was proposed to provide for a register of permits to be issued under the Act which would be available for public inspection. I accepted that principle and I propose the new subsection which has been drafted by the parliamentary draftsman.

We agree that the subsection should be added. It really does not add a great deal to the Bill. The section in question could be greatly strengthened. I regret that the Ministers has not taken steps to see that the Bill is strengthened to such a degree that the real dangers of dumping at sea could be eliminated.

We cannot debate the Bill on the amendment. We are confined strictly to the two amendments.

We will not oppose the amendment in any way.

Question put and agreed to.
Amendments reported and agreed to.

A message will be sent to Seanad Éireann accordingly.

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