Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important Bill. Like my colleagues, I am disappointed at some of the submissions from the other side because there has been an effort to create, to some extent, a mock battle between us. Certainly, nobody is concerned about the registration fee as it is pegged at a relatively modest level of €50, nor is the inspection fee at €20 for re-inspections, or whatever it might be, a concern. Even if it were at a higher cost, this is not what is creating the concern in the minds of the people I seek to represent. As others have said, the real concern is the potential cost associated with the upgrade works. The Minister glosses over the issue by suggesting there will be some kind of a national plan for inspections and those people whose septic tanks are working have nothing about which to worry.

We all know there are many septic tanks throughout the country which are not working to the modern standard because they were built in a different time and constructed in a way which does not meet the standards now acceptable. The key to where the Minister is coming from is stated in his contribution. He stated:

The second reason is a more fundamental reason and it is one which no right-thinking person could disagree with. The key objective of the new legislation is to enhance and protect public health and the environment which will, in turn, benefit rural dwellers.

This sets up a clause which the EPA will use against the Minister for putting forward this legislation if, as he has suggested and some of his backbenchers are attempting to peddle here tonight, there is some kind of a lax regime and it is all right on the night. That is rubbish and it is inherent in all the commentary on this Bill.

I believe in the principles of this Bill and in the necessity to protect ground water and the necessity to protect the environment. I also believe in the necessity to do things right and to put in place an appropriate standard for the protection of the environment and the protection of public health. However, let us be up-front about it and let us not penalise the rural dweller as against the urban dweller.

Deputy Áine Collins was the only speaker to speak with any level of sincerity when she referred to the necessity to ensure an appropriate level of support from the State so that a rural dweller is not penalised in an unfair and unbalanced way. I have spoken to a number of experts and it is very clear that the cost will range from between €7,000 to €17,000. No household I know of in rural Ireland will countenance paying this cost from savings. The State has to bring through an appropriate support scheme in cases where people are unable to pay for the upgrade works.

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