Results 5,421-5,440 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: Yes, the quality of the ground water, public health and protection of the environment.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The EPA guidelines do not come into it and neither does planning because it is exempt. There is no reason for people to worry on the basis of planning alone. I think the Senator is asking whether a septic tank granted permission in 1967 would have to be brought up to today's standards. This is not the case; all we want to know is whether the septic tank is working.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: Guidelines will be set down.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: That aspect is not being considered. We want to know whether the ground water quality is sufficient to protect public health and to protect the environment.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Senator is wrong again.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: In response to Senator Ó Clochartaigh, local authorities will appoint the inspectors and they will be responsible for those appointed. Those inspectors will be answerable to the local authorities, so there is no difficulty legally. It is standard practice. All of what Senator Ó Domhnaill read out were introduced under the Water Services Act 2007 and are in the 2009 EPA guidelines. They...

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: I do not know what point the Senator is making then.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Bill provides that the Minister can make regulations in regard to the performance standards for the domestic waste water treatment system. I will make regulations on that basis. They will not deal with what is in existence and the EPA regulations. They will be new regulations. All we will ask the regulations and the inspections to do is to ensure the system there is working. We must...

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: I do not know of any legislation enacted by the Houses which prescribed in detail for county managers the number of staff they should have and what they should do .

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: There are a lot of serious issues.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Senator does not.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: Anti-environment.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: That is a different issue.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: No one is in the dark other than the Senator. He is the one in the dark.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: I am only introducing what is standard practice in legislation. In addition, all matters relating to regulations are laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and each House has an opportunity to accept or reject them within 21 days.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: The Houses will have an opportunity to accept or reject it.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: Please do.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: I knew if I waited long enough in this debate that Fianna Fáil Members would eventually contradict themselves and that has happened with this amendment.

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: I have now discovered a total lack of sincerity on their part about doing anything on this legislation. They started out totally opposed to the Bill, inspections, charges and compliance with the European Court of Justice judgment and in favour of desludging as long as somebody else paid for it. Senator Wilson did not outline what people are paying in Cavan for an inspection. They pay...

Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: Under the by-laws in Cavan, it costs €200 per household for every septic tank to be inspected every seven years and desludging is paid for by the homeowner. Am I right or wrong?