Minister Brendan Howlin

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Brendan Howlin

New Minister for 

Public Expenditure and Reform

Dear Minister,

Congratulations on your appointment. You have an honest face and come across as a sincere individual. You have spoken many times of the need for Reform of our Public Bodies and Authorities. I guess now you have your chance to show what can be done. May I wish you great success in your endeavours.

I would dearly like to see you add two of our "Authorities" to your priority list for investigation and reform. There is no prize offered to my readers for guessing that I will be suggesting that the SEAI Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland goes on the list, for their poor handling of the grant schemes, and for their questionable spending on spin-doctored publicity, and for their lack of responsibility to their "customers".

I would also be most grateful if you would add the EPA The Environmental Protection Agency to your list. Why I would like to see the EPA investigated is because they have a list of Tariffs for Licencing, with fees massively greater than those in the UK.

I am aware of some advanced R&D work on waste oil burning heating systems that is essentially going to be scrapped because the EPA are looking for a fee in the region of €22,000. That is a really good way to promote Irish enterprise is it not? 

I am also interested in seeing machinery brought into Ireland for turning our mountains of waste plastic into oil. Again here, the EPA could present a major obstacle with their fee scale.

Some of our "Authorities" seem to be abusing their authority, and growing fat in the process.

I look forward to seeing your New Department at work.

Yours Sincerely,

Tony McGinley

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