I move amendment No. 120:
In page 32, before section 27, but in Part II, to insert the following new section:
"27.—(1) Where the Agency proposes to make under section 26 (1) of this Act a hazardous waste management plan or to vary an existing plan under section 26 (3) the Agency shall cause to be published in all national newspapers a notice of the proposal to make, vary or replace, as the case may be, the plan and shall submit a copy of the proposed plan or, as the case may be, the proposed variation of the plan to the Minister. Copies of the proposal shall also be made available to the general public at the offices of the Agency or the relevant local authority or local authorities.
(2) A notice under subsection (1) shall state that
(a) a copy of the proposed plan or, as the case may be, the proposed variation of the plan may—
(i) be inspected at a specified place and at specified times during a specified period, being a period of not less than 2 months from the time when the proposed plan or variation is deposited for inspection (and the proposed plan or variation shall be so deposited and made available for such inspection accordingly), and
(ii) be purchased from the Agency (and the proposed plan or variation shall be made available for such purchase accordingly (at a cost not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy)),
(b) written representations in relation to the proposed plan or to the proposed variation of the plan made to the Agency within the period aforesaid will be taken into consideration by the Agency before the making of the plan or, as the case may be, the variation of the plan (and any such representations shall be taken into consideration accordingly).
(3) The Agency having considered any representations duly made to it as the case may be, within the relevant period under subsection (2), may make, vary or replace the plan (whether in the terms as originally proposed or with such amendments as it or they thinks or think fit).
(4) (a) The Agency which has made a plan under subsection (2) or (3) of section 26 shall furnish to a person on request and, if the Agency so requires, payment to it by the person of such reasonable fee as it may charge, a copy of, or extract from, the plan.
(b) A document purporting to be a copy of a plan or to be an extract from a plan and to be certified by an officer of the Agency as a true copy shall be prima facie evidence of the plan or extract, as the case may be, and it shall not be necessary to prove the signature of such officer or that he or she was in fact such an officer.
(c) Evidence of a plan or of an extract from such plan may be given by production of a copy thereof certified pursuant to to this subsection and it shall not be necessary to produce the plan itself.".
I spoke at length on section 23 which dealt with waste management plans generally. The Minister was not able to facilitate my amendment. I proposed this amendment because I believe very strongly in the right of the public to participate in the drawing up of plans or to at least submit to plans. I am aware that we are talking about a national plan and that the rules and regulations probably will not allow the same in-depth participation. However, local communities should have some say and the public should have some knowledge of what is going on and a chance to make an input. The Bill does not provide an effective means of making such an input. Most of the points I made about consultation and involvement in local democracy in the context of section 23 are relevant here. I ask the Minister to consider this amendment or a suitable process by which the public would have some input into the development of a waste management plan, even on a consultative basis prior to it being drawn up.