Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)

I want to get a copy of the scientific data that was considered during the course of the EU court hearings. If it is not available and if it was not considered by the EU court, it is time to change the lawyers. I suspect that the EU court threatened that because a system was not in place, we are in breach of our obligations but there was little, if any, regard paid to the level of water pollution. I want to see what scientific evidence was put forward to the EU court.

My party is not opposing the Bill for the sake of opposition. We have put forward amendments which should have been considered. It is not too late. It is better to spend a little longer on this and get it right than to rush something that people will hold against Fine Gael and the Labour Party for many years go come. I hope that the Minister of State and his colleagues on the backbenches will accept that my party has put forward its proposals in good faith.

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