Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I would have expected the Department, through the EPA, to have identified the sites in question, numbering between 1,980 and 2,300, and the costs arising for the Department in terms of an action plan in each case. Otherwise, we are saying to the public that we are satisfied to allow a situation to continue where ground water is contaminated. We will have more problems with the water supply in the future if we do not deal with these issues now. Has the Minister plans to deal as soon as possible with the sites that have been identified? Will he set up a national inventory of all sites which have not yet been identified? I understand it is difficult to get a handle on all the sites.

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