Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

Under the judgment of the European Court of Justice, we are required to institute regular inspections of the quality of our groundwater and, arising from that judgment, we are obliged to have regular checks. We can do this through a registration process which happens every five or six years - I will pick five years. The first round of registrations is to request basic information. This will establish the ownership and location of on-site systems. When the inspections are carried out, the EPA may decide to seek further information on the systems that are being used, whether they are in compliance with regulations and whether they are working. It is a normal and expected course of action that the State, and local authorities in particular, should wish to know if compliance with the judgment continues and if information supplied on a second occasion correlates with information given on a previous occasion. It is a cross-check to reassure the public, through the authorities, that we are serious about our groundwater quality and that we are complying with the judgment that was laid down in 2009.

I do not agree with Senator Cullinane. There is not a shadow around every corner, although he may wish to think so. I have been explicit in the legislation about what I intend to do. The fundamental thing is to ensure we establish checks and balances and a risk-based approach that will actually deal with groundwater quality. I am pro-environment. I support measures that protect the environment and protect our groundwater, and I am against anything that will damage public health. The Senator voted against Second Stage, so he is against that principle.