Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

Deputy Michael Creed made a very valid point. We are fortunate that the regulations proposed by the previous Government fell with the general election; otherwise some of the costs about which Deputy Troy heard last night would have been introduced. It would cost €10,000 to complete the necessary upgrades; every septic tank would be inspected and we would have to comply with the 2009 EPA regulations. That is not what we are going to do under this Bill. I am not going to do what Fianna Fáil wanted to do when in government.

I announced funding of €22 million for many water schemes in rural Roscommon in the last few months. Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan did not mention this. A lot of money has been allocated to Connemara and County Roscommon since I became Minister, about which nobody else seemed to be bothered, to deal with many of the outstanding rural infrastructural problems in water and sewerage services. The figure is €22 million for County Roscommon and €38 million for Galway West.

See this speech in context