Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 7 Feb 1990

Vol. 395 No. 4

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Environmental Protection Agency.

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

8 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government have raised directly with the President of the EC Commission the possibility that Ireland would be the location for the proposed Environmental Protection Agency to be established by the European Commission; if, in this regard, he proposes to canvass support from the other European nations for its location within Ireland having regard to the aspirations of the Irish green Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

65 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps which have been taken to secure the siting of the new European Environment Agency in Ireland.

Bernard Allen

Ceist:

75 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether Ireland has applied to the European Commission to have the European Environmental Agency located in Ireland.

Mr. Collins

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 65 and 75 together.

The proposal to establish a European Environment Agency was made last year by the EC Commission. In July 1989, the Taoiseach wrote to President Delors offering to locate the agency in Ireland and a formal submission in support of Dublin as site for the agency was lodged with the Commission.

Mr. Barry

Dublin? Surely, it should be Cork.

Mr. Collins

This is not news. It was announced long before now.

An Ceann Comhairle

Let us hear the Minister's reply. Relevant questions will be permitted.

Mr. Collins

Let us hear the rest of it. If the Deputy does not have faith in his own capital city, it is hard to understand how others will. Our interest in hosting the agency has also been brought to the attention of the relevant authorities in the other member states. The question of the location of the agency is an issue to be considered during our Presidency.

The various submissions from member states are currently being examined within the Council framework and the agency's location is likely to be discussed at next month's General Affairs Council. In line with our commitment to paying special attention to the environment during our Presidency, we would hope to settle this issue quickly so that the establishment of the agency will not be delayed.

Mr. Quinn

In thanking the Minister for his reply may I ask him if he would agree that the success or failure of the Government in delivering this agency to some venue on this island, let us not be specific about the site, will be testimony to how serious our European partners are taking our pretentions towards maintaining a green Presidency?

Mr. Collins

Let me say to Deputy Quinn, who is extremely knowledgeable in this area, that a number of decisions on the location of Community agencies have not been resolved. The fact that they have not been resolved does not reflect on the member states which held the Presidency during the particular periods. Deputy De Rossa is living witness to the fact that the European Parliament is in Strasbourg. The headquarters of the Parliament are in Luxembourg while the Commission is in Brussels. We have quite a number of decisions to make and this is regrettable. When talking about the Parliament we should also refer to some of the other ones. At least they have a working arrangement there. I hope that when the Commission comes to evaluate, as it has been charged to do, the applications on the site location of this agency, we will try as best we can to ensure there is consensus as it would not be to the credit of any member of the Community if the decision on the location of the agency were to be delayed because of a failure to agree.

Mr. Quinn

Arising out of the——

An Ceann Comhairle

I also want to bring in two other Deputies who have questions tabled on the subject, Deputies Shatter and Allen.

Mr. Quinn

I have two supplementary questions which I will try to ask together. Will the Minister agree that the decision to locate the agency will be made in the six month period, that it is widely known in the corridors of Brussels that agreement in principle has been made in favour of Copenhagen and that that decision is tantamount to a slap in the face to the Irish Government whose pretentions to a "green" Presidency have been paraded around the halls of Europe? Secondly, out of desperation could he not offer the vacant premises of the truncated and executed An Foras Forbartha who were the only environmental protection agency this country had and whose offices are now empty?

Mr. Collins

I will ignore the political barbs of the Deputy's questions and say to him that Copenhagen has a very strong case. It has no agency of the Community whatsoever and it is considered a front runner. That is no secret; it is fact and that fact cannot in any way be regarded by anybody as a slap in the face for the Irish Presidency, so I had best ignore that, otherwise——

Mr. Quinn

Green is taking on a new connotation and a very sad one.

Mr. Collins

I think the Deputy is trying to be politically disruptive and there is no need for it. I feel, and the Deputy should know because it has been said before now, that it is the intention of the Irish Presidency to get consensus on the location of this agency. The Irish Presidency can do no more than be genuine in its efforts to get consensus, and that we will be. I am sure the Deputy and other Members will agree that the important thing is that we get it established, up and running. I believe there are 48 locations being examined from all the member states. I do not know how many meet but at least we have one and no more than one.

Mr. M. Higgins

Could they consult with the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs?

Mr. Collins

Perhaps we should have two. I could think of a suitable place on the west coast that would be very welcome and we would all like it, but that was not considered. I am quite sure that if there is goodwill within the Community we can agree on it. Let Deputy Quinn come back in six months and talk about it and we can debate the issue politically then.

Mr. Quinn

I most certainly will.

Mr. Shatter

Will the Minister indicate to the House in synopsis form the substance of the submission made on behalf of the Irish Government in July last seeking the siting of the European environmental protection agency in this country? Would he not agree that if the Government removed their opposition to the Fine Gael Environmental Protection Agency Bill which comes before this House next week and permitted the passage of that Bill to establish such an agency in this country, it would land both weight and credibility to the Government's application to Europe and would lend weight and credibility with other member states in their indicated support to us for the siting of such a European agency in this country?

Mr. Collins

I am sure the Deputy realises full well that only one part of his supplementary question is relevant as far as the Minister for Foreign Affairs is concerned. The other part he can take up at another time with other people. The main points made on Ireland's submission in our bid for locating the agency in Dublin is that Ireland is inherently suitable from the environmental point of view in that we have an international reputation as a country with an unspoiled environment, the availability of high standard accommodation at the Custom House Docks, low operating costs, and an attractive living and working environment with accessibility to all amenities as well as full co-operation with Government agencies and universities, and substantial Government financial assistance and support from the IDA for local employment to be generated.

Mr. Allen

I hope the Commission's thinking will not be as centralised as the Minister's or we have no hope. I am amused by the Minister describing Dublin as environmentally clean. I could put a stronger case for Cork. Will the Minister agree that if the Commission agree to site the agency in Ireland it would be a major act of decentralisation in a Community which is over-centralised? We just have to look at Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg to see how centralised the Community is to date. Will he make that point to the Commission before a decision is made?

Mr. Collins

I am sure it is not the Commission who makes the decisions. The Commission has been asked to evaluate the 48 different applications that have been made. The matter then will be decided by the General Affairs Council.

An Ceann Comhairle

Let us deal with another question. We have been rather sluggish at questions today with just some eight questions in three quarters of an hour.