Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend my colleague, Deputy Martin Kenny, on bringing forward this legislative amendment, which seeks to amend the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 and make it somewhat easier for people to pursue the building of one-off housing in rural Ireland.

We have to be honest here tonight. The building of one-off housing has been halted in Ireland for a number of years. This is due to an EPA guideline which stipulates zero emissions from the sewerage system in such homes. We also have to be honest about the times we live in. Action on climate change is essential. We need to preserve our environment for future generations and their future generations and we all have a responsibility in this regard. How do we measure all of this? Rural Ireland has been under sustained attack. Rural depopulation is a serious issue. The consequences of this have been seen throughout this summer, with community hall meetings happening in every small town and village, fighting to preserve their post office network. Post office closures have followed bank closures and Garda station closures and these have followed the closure of main street retail stores in small town Ireland through the recession years. This all needs to be examined.

I refer the Minister of State to the comments in July 2017 by the former Secretary General of the Department of Finance, one of the highest civil servant positions in the State when speaking at the MacGill Summer School in County Donegal. The Secretary General, Mr. John Moran, said: "The right for children to build to house on their parents' land in rural Ireland should not be an automatic given." I will repeat this statement: "The right for children to build a house on their parents' land in rural Ireland should not be an automatic given." This is the nub of the problem. Government policy has directly created a major social issue. I find it difficult to believe that indepth discussions were not held in and around Government at that time regarding the development of measures to block the building of one-off housing in rural Ireland.

What the Government has done is wrong and damaging. We now need to look at ways of reintroducing the prospect of one-off housing as a way to repopulate rural Ireland and to allow families to dwell alongside each other in what for many has been their generational home. What else do we need to do? We need to bring in environmental experts to address communities across rural Ireland not just on this issue but on many issues. Rural dwellers are more than open to contributing to our country's commitments on climate change targets. The green economy can be built upon by repopulating rural Ireland. They are not mutually self exclusive, as some key thinkers clearly believe, including an examination of Mr. Moran's address last year.

Solutions through green technology can be found to address the septic tank issue. Let us find it together. Let us build rural Ireland again and reach out to those who feel they have been left behind. Rural Ireland, for those of us who know it intimately, is a proud Ireland, and we should all be proud of it. I urge Government and all Opposition voices in this House to support Deputy Martin Kenny's amending proposals.

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