Before the debate was adjourned I was making the point that the proposed environment protection agency should make the fullest utilisation of our existing third level institutions in the areas of research and equipment. Rather than spending huge sums on equipment for educational purposes alone it would make a lot of sense if we could make use of and expand the equipment and facilities which are available in establishing an environment protection agency. For far too long we as a society have not used adequately the resources, knowledge, expertise and research facilities available in our third level institutions. I appeal to the Minister to take on board these suggestions when she is establishing the new agency.
I would further ask the Minister to ensure that any new agency will have the power to monitor the operations of local authorities particularly in regard to waste disposal and sewage treatment. Local authorities in general have been rather tardy in their approach to these issues and are falling way behind in the area of sewage treatment in general. For example, the entire sewage of Cork city is discharged raw into Cork harbour. Cork County Council discharge sewage raw into Cork harbour and they have plans to pipe this sewage to Passage West and discharge it raw into the harbour there. Apart from its economic and industrial role, Cork harbour is a wonderful tourist amenity providing boating, bathing and fishing facilities, yet it is being polluted on a daily basis by the local authorities in the area. Such sewage should be treated and both the Government and the Department of the Environment should, as a policy priority, compile a national action programme which will ensure the setting up of secondary sewage treatment plants in all coastal towns and cities over the next few years.
In fairness, the Minister made provision in the recently announced environmental package for the construction of sewage treatment plants in our coastal towns. I welcome the provisions announced in that package. The environmental package announced by the Minister represents a milestone in the development of Ireland's environmental policy. It also highlights the need for the establishment of an environment protection agency to ensure that all local authorities produce specific plans relating to the provision of sewage treatment plants. Last year I tabled a motion to Cork Corporation calling on the authorities to formulate plans to construct a sewage treatment plant to treat all sewage discharged from Cork city into the harbour. My proposal was agreed in principle but to date no action has been taken. I think both the engineers and management envisaged a long time scale for the setting up of such a plant.
In the light of the Government's recent announcement I again tabled a motion calling on Cork Corporation to submit specifically designed plans for a secondary treatment plant to the Department. The overall lack of initiative shown in this area by the local authority in question, and indeed by other local authorities, is a clear illustration of the need for an independent national environment protection agency which will give an impetus to desirable environmental measures which, for a variety of reasons, local authorities might be reluctant to give. There are a number of examples where local authorities tended to put short-term financial needs before desirable environmental measures. It is extremely important that an environment protection agency would be able to force local authorities to take on board and implement these measures.
Another area which demands serious consideration is that of landfill sites in cities and large towns. It is totally unacceptable to locate large landfill sites in very close proximity to densely populated areas. At present Cork Corporation propose to extend the use of the existing landfill site for another 20 years and in doing so to bring it within very close proximity, almost within 100 feet, of a densely populated housing estate. I call on the Minister and the Government to examine this issue. I hope that the proposed new agency will examine the question of the disposal of domestic sewage and in particular landfill sites. They should also explore alternative means of disposing of domestic waste and the whole process of incineration. Perhaps the Department could put forward some concrete proposals in relation to this issue.
A number of people in senior management in local authorities are not looking ahead to what will happen in 20 years because they will not be there. I have asked the senior management in these local authorities what will happen in 20 years' time when landfill sites are full and what choices will be open to us then. If we have to make choices in 20 years' time why not make them in five years' time instead? I should like the Minister to include this issue within the terms of reference of the new environment protection agency.
The location of the environment protection agency has generated considerable interest. I would urge the Minister to give serious consideration to locating the agency in the Cork area, perhaps in an area close to the lower harbour which has a heavy concentration of chemical industry. The satellite town of Carrigaline would be an excellent location for the agency because of its close proximity to the Ringaskiddy industrial estate, about which we have heard so much, and to the harbour area in general which serves a rich agricultural hinterland. As I have mentioned already, there are two fine third level institutions in Cork, University College Cork and the Cork Regional Technical College, which could provide the new agency with substantial research facilities and a steady stream of graduates qualify in various disciplines pertaining to the environment annually. I again ask the Minister to seriously consider locating the proposed environment protection agency in Cork.
In her speech the Minister identified a number of flaws in Deputy Shatter's Bill, particularly in the Second Schedule. The wisest course of action is to await the publication of the Government Bill which is being prepared following considerable consultation with interested parties. I should like to pay tribute to Deputy Shatter for his active and constructive approach to this issue. His Bill is detailed and contains many laudable provisions, some of which can be incorporated in the Government's Bill. This approach indicates that the Fine Gael Party agree with the concept of and need to establish an independent environment protection agency. In that sense Deputy Shatter's Bill has contributed to the overall debate on the environment and increased awareness in the public mind about our environment, which I believe will grow in importance as the years pass.