Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

The Minister likes to think this is just a rural issue but there are septic tanks near Dublin Airport. It is as much an urban issue as it is a rural one in many parts of the country because we have not invested sufficiently in group schemes and public systems. The Minister is admitting that he has taken no initiative to address the contamination of ground water even after waiting 18 years for a manual on updated best practice. That is not good enough. Will the Minister give an undertaking that a scheme of upgrading septic tanks will be put in place in 2010 arising from the review of the programme for Government?

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