John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

I take the points made by Deputy Tuffy regarding a monitoring and inspection regime. The sustainable rural housing guidelines for planning authorities issued in April 2005 emphasised the need for adherence to best practice in regard to septic tanks to protect water quality, particularly in ground water. They were issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, which requires planning authorities to have regard to such guidelines in the performance of their functions. The phrase "have regard to" is in dispute. I would like to copperfasten that phrase in the flooding and residential housing guidelines and replace it with "comply with", which would make the guidelines more robust in legal terms. The EPA is finalising a revised edition of its 2000 manual on wastewater treatment systems serving single houses in consultation with all the interested parties. We can make inroads with an inspection regime and the new legislation required.

As much as I would like to introduce a grant scheme across a range of areas, money is in short supply and I do not see that on the horizon for the foreseeable future.

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