Results 5,601-5,620 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

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

Phil Hogan: Under the judgment of the European Court of Justice, we are required to institute regular inspections of the quality of our groundwater and, arising from that judgment, we are obliged to have regular checks. We can do this through a registration process which happens every five or six years - I will pick five years. The first round of registrations is to request basic information. This...

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

Phil Hogan: No, it is not.

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

Phil Hogan: It is true that the Senator voted against Second Stage, is it not?

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

Phil Hogan: Did the Senator vote against Second Stage? Did he vote against the principle of the Bill?

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

Phil Hogan: No, I am just talking about this Bill.

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

Phil Hogan: Did the Senator vote against this Bill on Second Stage?

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

Phil Hogan: I must point out also that £115 is the discharge licence fee requested in Northern Ireland. Senator Cullinane did not mention that in his contribution. There are regular inspections in Northern Ireland and groundwater issues are treated seriously. We have to do the same in the interest of households, public health, inward investment and job creation. We cannot continue treating water in...

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

Phil Hogan: There is no re-registration fee.

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

Phil Hogan: That is what I mean - the groundwater.

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

Phil Hogan: They are stealing the metal.

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

Phil Hogan: They will not take the Senator's word on that in Ros a' Mhíl.

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

Phil Hogan: With your permission, a Chathaoirligh, I would like to answer a question from Senator O'Donovan.

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

Phil Hogan: I will give the Senator the logic.

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

Phil Hogan: Yes.

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

Phil Hogan: Senator O'Donovan asked about the certification arising for people who might be buying or selling property. All that is required is a certificate of compliance with the registration of a septic tank on the purchase or sale of a property, similar to the case of the building energy rating, BER, certificate. There must be a certificate to demonstrate that one has registered a septic tank.

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

Phil Hogan: No. Registration is all that is needed. The fact that one has registered a septic tank is sufficient. One need not do anything more.

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

Phil Hogan: That is a consumer issue that must be dealt with in another way. All I am requiring is a basic registration.

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

Phil Hogan: I am making it clear. If I were introducing a system of uniform inspection of septic tanks then no other registration would be necessary, but I am not doing so. I am introducing a risk-based assessment under which approximately one in every five or six tanks will be inspected. During the five year period changes will be made to the systems by some people and some may put in second or...

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

Phil Hogan: Does Senator Cullinane want an inspector?

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

Phil Hogan: I agree with what Senator Cullinane is saying about people who are inspected but I am referring to the five out of six people who will not be inspected. We need information about what they are doing as well and the way to track that is through a second registration without a charge every five years.