Results 9,061-9,080 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

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.

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

Phil Hogan: Senator Ó Clochartaigh is advocating a reporting mechanism such that each time we carry out some work it is reported to someone to the central registrar. Certainly, that is one way of doing it.

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

Phil Hogan: The Senator is dealing with the definitions now. We have not laid down in legislation what we intend to do in that regard. The second registration will pick up wherever inspections have been carried out in the risk-based areas and whether the work has been carried out. One must allow a certain amount of time for people to carry out work arising from an inspection. Then one can see with...

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

Phil Hogan: The system must work.

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

Phil Hogan: The system has to work to make sure-----

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

Phil Hogan: We cannot have protection of groundwater without a good working system. If groundwater quality is not up to scratch the system has to be changed to deal with that.

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

Phil Hogan: How can we have good groundwater quality if we do not have a system that is able to deal with it?

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

Phil Hogan: There are technologies available-----

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

Phil Hogan: The system is inspected but the ground water is tested to make sure everything is working properly. The objective of the exercise is to ensure we have non-contamination of ground water from septic tanks. That is the ruling from the European Court of Justice. We are doing our best to comply with it through a risk-based approach. I am not introducing a universal system of inspection, which...