Results 9,301-9,320 of 14,706 for speaker:Phil Hogan

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

Phil Hogan: The local authority staff will inspect tanks under EPA guidelines to ascertain if they comply with public health standards and good environmental practice as laid down in those guidelines. The planning issues are exempt.

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

Phil Hogan: We are not talking about guidelines. If planning permission was granted in 1967 I am not going to second-guess the conditions of the permission. There was no EPA at that time. All we want to know is whether a septic tank is working.

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 (23 Nov 2011)

Phil Hogan: Yes.

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

Phil Hogan: I do not think the official version will matter today.

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

Phil Hogan: This legislation is about protecting ground-water which, as someone involved in employing people, I am sure Senator White would agree with. It is important that we have good quality water from the point of view of protecting public health and the environment and creating jobs. I am sorry that the Senator opposes it for this reason.

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

Phil Hogan: I am sorry that Senator White opposes these matters and that Fianna Fáil has decided to oppose such laudable objectives. I put it to Senator Wilson that the powers of section 22 of the Water Service Act 2007 dealing with the appointment of authorised persons was brought in by his Government in 2007.