Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

The Minister can say we are scaremongering, but we are not. At a meeting in my county on Thursday of last week, a gentleman came from Galbally, County Limerick. He was not a farmer but lived in a cottage. Early in 2011, before any of this Bill was discussed, he had a visit from a county council official informing him that there had been a complaint that his septic tank system, which he had installed 27 years ago with planning permission, was too near a stream. He had adhered to the planning conditions approved by the county council. He was told he would have to move the tank and the percolation system in February 2011. He is in the middle of this work at present. The gentleman asked how he would pay for the assessment - Deputy Niall Collins might take up this issue - and the hire of specialists. In fairness to the technician from the county council, he said he would do it for him. He saved the gentleman a large sum of money. He worked three days in a row. He had to fill the hole pre-test, and got out of bed at 6 a.m. to fill the hole with a barrel of water. He conducted three 12 hour tests. This is happening in the real world. The Minister knows this as well as I do, and so does Deputy Paudie Coffey. The results were assessed in the office and the technician returned and told him what had to be done and the number of linear metres of percolation he had to install. There is no point in saying any standards will do. He had to do the work and pay planning fees. That was last year when he had to comply with 2009 EPA standards.

I know An Taisce supports the legislation but it is not supporting the nonsense the Minister portrays that there will be no standards. I will have a good chat with my friends on the telephone. I do not like talking to An Taisce about things but it is patent nonsense to say there will be no standards. This happened in Galbally, County Limerick, and it probably happened in many other places. I appreciate the Chair's indulgence.

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