Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I am outlining the basis for my proposal on the registration, if Deputy Lawlor wants to listen. I want the certificate of registration to be valid for 40 years or for the lifetime of the household. What is the reason for the Minister's clandestine measure that the person must re-register every five years? We had the discussion about re-registering with the water services provider whoever that might be. A future Government will not have to include that in a Bill because it is already in the primary legislation but it may have to change the €50 to €500. I do not want to repeat the point made by Deputy Healy-Rae about school children but everybody knows that a charge of €50 per registration will not pay for much in the way of a special regime to deal with this serious issue. The certificate of registration should be valid for the lifetime of the property and for not less than 40 years. The Minister might respond by saying that a householder could sell a house and move on but that is addressed in a financial facility in that one must get an engineer to issue a BER certificate. Will we have to get some other type of certificate for this issue, perhaps a SEWER certificate, when selling the house? It is the thin end of the wedge.

This is clever legislation drafted in a clandestine fashion to ensure the public, especially rural dwellers, can be tricked out of money. The principle that this is about clean water has been abandoned because if that were the case why would we have amendments about noise and other pollution? Those issues have nothing to do with clean water. Why is the Minister afraid of the 2009 standards which we all want and to which every new building must adhere? Why is he bringing in legislation that he said he will overrule and will not require planning permission? If the 2009 legislation is enforced it will be because of me, Deputy Eamon Ó Cuív, Deputy Niall Collins, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae and the Sinn Féin Party.

This is patent nonsense, and the Minister knows that. He has met representation from many people in his own constituency, which he is expected to do, and he is aware that the latest guidelines must be adhered to. If not there will be third party objections or, worse, the involvement of An Taisce or some of the environmental bodies. That is their brief. There are representatives of An Taisce throughout the country. I know some of them. I sit on a board and regulate with one of them who is a very good and active member. We might differ on some issues but his brief is to make submissions and, as a member of an NGO, travel to Brussels and complain if the standards are not maintained.

It is time this issue was dealt with honestly and openly. The Minister should stop the "codology" of being the big hard man who pushes legislation through the House, talks all of us down and says he is will set the standards. The nod and a wink job is no more. That kind of politics is gone.

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