Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)

I welcome the Minister's confirmation that the quality of groundwater in Ireland is very good. As I said earlier, the report of the Environmental Protection Agency as well as others indicate that the levels of pollutants from septic tanks are, to use their word, minor and that the cost of remedial works is approximately 5% of the overall cost in dealing with. I am disappointed, however, that the Minister is not prepared to specify the standards that will apply. This is unacceptable. It is reasonable to expect standards to be specified in legislation such as this, as Members and the public should know the exact position.

The Minister asked those of us on this side of the House how we would solve the problem.

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