asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if, in view of his public statement that grants would be withheld or withdrawn from persistent industrial polluters he has (a) assembled a list of such polluters (b) notified the IDA of internationally known polluters and (c) taken any action against companies which have been successfully prosecuted by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Industrial Polluters.
32.
The enforcement of anti-pollution legislation is primarily the responsibility of local authorities at present and will become the responsibility of the proposed new environmental protection agency when that body is established next year. However, I am determined that the industrial development agencies should play the fullest possible role in promoting clean industry and in supporting steps to maintain high environmental standards and to prevent pollution.
For this reason, I have instructed the IDA and Shannon Development that grants should not be paid to industries which are in breach of environmental requirements. This instruction is being complied with and grant payments have been and are being withheld from companies where environmental discharges are not within acceptable limits. This action is not confined to companies which have been prosecuted but applies also in cases where specified standards are being breached, whether those standards are laid down by local authorities or Eolas as a result of environmental impact assessments.
The operation of these arrangements is a matter of day to day administration for the development agencies and does not require a listing of companies by me.