Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2010
1520 Deputy Phil Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he is conducting a review of the Environmental Protection Agency; the aims of this review; the membership and background of each member of the review group; when a report or review conclusion will be presented to him and laid before Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33802/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, a review of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) commenced in February 2010. Under its terms of reference, the Review Group has been asked to review the legislation governing the EPA; assess the Agency's performance against its mandate and evaluate the scope of that mandate; review the resources allocated to the Agency; assess the structures and governance of the Agency; and assess the relationship between the Agency and other parts of the environmental governance structure in Ireland.
The Review Group comprises the following members:
Mr. Dick Budden, Director of the Carbon Disclosure project and former Managing Director of a leading PET bottle recycling firm.
Dr. Kenneth Irvine, a senior lecturer in Zoology in Trinity College Dublin, who specialises in lake ecology.
Mr. Fred Langeweg, former Director of the Dutch Environmental Protection Agency and a former civil engineer specialising in flood proofing and managing water in the Netherlands.
Mr. John McCarthy (Chair), Assistant Secretary in my Department.
Mr. Richard Moeran, a farmer and forester who operates an organic demonstration farm for Teagasc in County Cavan and formerly ran his own manufacturing business in the United States.
Mr. Jack O'Sullivan, independent environmental consultant, former member of the EPA Advisory Committee, current Council member of An Taisce and a member of Comhar — Sustainable Development Council.
Dr. Áine Ryall, Senior Lecturer specialising in Environmental Law in University College Cork.
Prof. Anthony Staines, lecturer in the School of Nursing in Dublin City University, who specialises in developing research about public health and health information systems.
Mr. Larry Stapleton, former Director of the Office of Environmental Assessment in the EPA and a former Deputy Director General of the Agency.
I expect the Review Group to be in a position substantially to conclude its work by the end of the year and to submit its report to me quickly thereafter. I envisage that the report will be published in due course, following consideration of its conclusions and recommendations. Further details of the review are available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.
