I ask all members to ensure their mobile phones are turned off fully. The first item on the agenda is the minutes of the meeting of 22 September 2009, which have been circulated. Are they agreed? Agreed.
The next item on the agenda is correspondence received by the joint committee that has been circulated since the last meeting. The first such item of correspondence is a letter from Mr. Howard McConnell, managing director of International Coatings Limited. This is an old item of correspondence that has been with the joint committee for a while and which has deferred it repeatedly. It relates to a person who is unhappy with the procedures of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government regarding the issuing of his licences, the costs thereof and various appeals he has made. As I do not believe the joint committee can become involved in this matter at all, I suggest members should simply note it and move on. I reiterate this is an old item of correspondence that has been with the joint committee for a couple of months but which we keep putting off. It comprises a significant chunk of correspondence from a company that trades as McConnells Coatings and Adhesives. Its manager is not happy with the licensing procedures, the costs of the inspections or the manner in which the regulatory authorities have been replying to his letters. The correspondence includes copious replies from the EPA, running to pages upon pages, as well as a list of 30 items of correspondence it has issued to him. His point is the EPA does not reply properly to him and he obviously is dissatisfied with the way things work. However, I do not believe the joint committee can get involved in this matter. There are reams of correspondence from both sources. Ultimately, this man is entitled to be unhappy and there is not much this joint committee can do to make him happy. At this point, members should note this correspondence and simply move on.
The next item is a request from Deputy Naughten to discuss the flooding in the Shannon callows. The joint committee has agreed to this and will place it on its work programme. However, it was noted that members should seek information from the Office of Public Works and various State bodies that have information to hand before groups appear before the joint committee. Consequently, members will be in a position to have an informed and orderly meeting. Is that agreed? Agreed.
The next item is a press release from the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Finneran, regarding the Irish National Community and Voluntary Forum regional conference in Cavan. We will note it.