Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I compliment the Minister and his officials on bringing forward this important legislation. I always like to leave the Minister with an idea when he visits the House. It would be very helpful if Sustainable Energy Ireland were to make grants available for rainwater harvesting. I have raised the matter with the Minister before. It would be a simple policy to implement and I do not understand the reticence to pursue it.

I agree with Senator Moylan's point about enforcement. I recall that when we built our own house 35 years ago, which was before the introduction of self-contained, bio-cycle waste systems for one-off housing, the septic tank provider also installed a tertiary treatment plant. By the time the material had been processed in the third tank, it was like clean water. Senator Moylan makes the important point that while we require the installation of certain systems, we never check to see how well they are doing.

I have spoken to people from the fisheries boards who must often examine applications for planning permission and who must do tests regarding soakage. One cannot argue with that. Such measures might deal with the issues which often bother rural dwellers. It is important to monitor the outcomes of decisions to see if they are working properly. I commend the Minister and his officials on their work on the Bill.