Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

The provision in subsection 7, which is based on the existing provisions for trade effluent licensing under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 and will be consolidated into this Bill, is intended to weed out old dormant licences and ensure that all licences are relevant and current. It is possible that a particular operation may be legitimately licensed for occasional, sporadic discharge over a four year period but may not be discharging for a cumulative period of more than three years. In such circumstances it is not envisaged that a licence should be considered to be dormant or have ceased to have effect. The existing provision, based on the 1977 Act, has stood the test of time. The three year requirement proved to be effective and has not caused any operational difficulties. Why fix it if it is not broken?