Results 2,681-2,700 of 3,241 for speaker:Brian Ó Domhnaill
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: I will bow to that. If I may make a clarification, I will accept what the Leader says but I was going to talk about what the inspectors will implement when they call out to a site. I refer to the T test and the P test as regards percolation areas. These are important technical aspects of the Bill which must be discussed-----
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: I fail to understand why Members on the Government side would vote for this Bill because they would be voting for a pig in a poke if they vote it through. That is what I am afraid of.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: Unless the Minister is willing to withdraw this section and favour local authority staff then we cannot agree.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: Then remove section 3.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: On a point of order. I did not want to interrupt the Minister. However, it is unfair to draw a parallel between the BER certificate for a property being rented or sold and someone living in his or her private home. There is a big difference. A person living in his or her own private home is not selling or renting it-----
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, to delete lines 23 and 24, and substitute the following: " 'Inspector' means a person appointed by the Agency from within its own staff in accordance with section 70E;". I regret that Senator à Clochartaigh's amendment was ruled out of order. There was so much talk about the importance of local authorities to this process-----
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: Okay. Amendment No. 2 relates to a matter that is similar to that we have previously discussed under section 3. We are seeking to ensure that inspectors are appointed from within the staff of the agency or local authority, in accordance with section 70E of the Bill. The Minister has said he appreciates that local authority staff are sufficiently competent to carry out this work. He has...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: Perhaps the Minister can clarify which standards will apply. I have seen the current Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, which are available on the agency's current website. One of the matters covered by the guidelines is the size of a percolation area. The guidelines also specify the trench length that should be associated with a percolation area that feeds off a septic tank....
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: In response to the point of order, I would like to clarify that I am referring to the most recent Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. According to Environmental Protection Agency staff whom I have consulted-----
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: Yes.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: I am making a specific point about the work the inspectors will be doing when they call to each site. I am trying to gauge whether the Minister will follow these guidelines.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: I am referring to the powers of the inspectors. If the inspectors make their inspections on the basis of those Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, I presume they will tell many people with septic tanks that they do not meet the required standards. They will be saying that on the basis of the Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. A site of at least three quarters of an acre...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: I apologise if I am running overboard.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: I am trying to point out that we are giving private inspectors the power to make determinations and judgments on the basis of the current Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, which presumably will be signed into regulation by the Minister. If the Minister were to follow the 1996 Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, which are being adopted in Cavan and are acceptable to the...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: It relates to the inspectors.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: That is fine. I accept the Chair's ruling on that. The legislation proposes that a private pool of inspectors will be appointed by the agency. What we propose is that those inspectors would be local authority staff, whether new or existing, or staff of the Environmental Protection Agency, whether new or existing. There should be public scrutiny of, and a public link-up, with those...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: That is right.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: Yes. On the point the Minister made, I appreciate it is for new build and that it came in under 2007 legislation. That is being implemented by local authorities now with the trial hole system. Everyone is in the dark in regard to this legislation because we do not know what maintenance, servicing and operational standards are attached to it and the extent of retrospection in terms of their...
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: No, it is not. It is the key issue in regard to this legislation.
- Seanad: Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (23 Nov 2011)
Brian Ó Domhnaill: The Minister is missing the point.