Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

It is not at all satisfactory for the Taoiseach to state he is leaving it up to the council. The European Court will be down on his head on the basis of his failure to, as the European Commission press release puts it, put in place satisfactory rules to prevent malodours from urban waste water treatment plants in accordance with the EU Waste Framework Directive. It is the Government's job to put such measures in place for the local authorities to comply with. The Government has not done so. It has also informed the European Commission that it will introduce promised legislation to better regulate the management of such plants. However, in January, the European Commission noted this has not materialised. The European Commission has been very polite about this matter. Essentially, it is threatening to take the Government to court. I again ask if the Taoiseach will give this matter the priority it needs. Will he learn the lesson from the Ringsend plant and focus on the original plan, which was to have more localised sustainable and manageable plants serving the communities which need them? Has the Taoiseach learned that lesson yet? Will he learn it before he goes cruising for a bruising electorally and legally, as the European Commission will not stand for the current position?

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