Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

The moral authority for this Government to pronounce on law-breaking is paper thin. Apart from anti-social behaviour, the corruption at Gama Construction and tax fraud, the Government is infamous for being taken to task for not complying with EU law. Ireland is cited in the second highest number of legal actions by the EU Commission for infringements of EU law, and in the highest number of complaints per capita on environmental issues. One wonders how the Taoiseach can say that will all be put right when he is in the doghouse in regard to EU legislation.

For example, my colleague, Deputy Gormley, is pursuing the Government's lack of action to prevent malodours, as they are politely called, from waste water treatment plants. The Commission has repeatedly told this Government that legislation is needed to regulate waste water plants. It says we need to protect water sources and that disinfecting water with chlorine is linked to various cancers.

The Government needs to pull up its socks in respect of EU legislation. The Taoiseach and the former Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Cullen, officiated at the opening of the waste water treatment plant in May 2003. Will the Taoiseach seek an investigation to establish why problems have persisted there over these two years and why the Commission has repeatedly reminded the Government of the need to take action? Why was it necessary for Deputy Gormley to go to Brussels to meet with officials and lodge an official complaint before any action could be taken? What action will be taken?

The Taoiseach presided over and accepted the plaudits for the opening of the plant, but will he accept political responsibility and commission an investigation to enable people know what the problem is and deal with it?

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