Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)

We would all agree that science and technology have moved on since the Local Government (Planning and Development Act) 1963 was introduced. However, some of the contributions today would suggest that the knowledge arising from scientific developments has been lost on certain people. When we consider that we send money to other countries to help people there to maintain clean water supplies, it is difficult to see how some of the suggestions we have heard today represent any form of forward thinking. They can only be described as representing political thinking in the form of feeding at the trough of people's misery.

We must get back to basics in addressing the problem of water contamination. I completely understand that people are concerned about these proposals and cynical about the intentions of politicians. Sometimes it is good to take a step back and go to the tooth of the issue at hand. What it comes down to is that there is a problem that must be tackled. This problem was brought to a head by the judgment of the European Court of Justice in October 2009. We know that as a result we were going to be fined €2.7 million and €26,000 daily thereafter until measures were taken to address the problem.

It has been stated most septic tanks are functioning properly. However, we do not know if that is the case. Various EPA reports have identified faecal contamination of groundwater which, as we know, is caused by malfunctioning septic tanks and, in some case, malfunctioning local authority sewage treatment plants. We all know the risks associated with septic tanks.

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