Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael)

I, too, welcome the Minister to the House. I welcome the Bill and agree with its provisions. While there is some concern about it, the subject with which it deals should have been dealt with many years ago. Approximately seven or eight years ago, I met the then Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, in my capacity as a member of the IFA. He stated then he would consider introducing a grant to help people experiencing difficulty in rural areas. We allowed the Celtic tiger to pass by but this was not done. Unfortunately, we are not in a position at this point to introduce a grant but it is vital that we protect public health. We do not want to see cryptosporidium in the water in any county, as was the case in Galway some years ago. This created a very serious problem and the council had to draw in water for people.

There has been much scaremongering on this issue in recent months, particularly regarding the introduction of an inspection charge of €300. In these times, €50 is quite a lot of money but its not a significant charge. It covers the owners of septic tanks for five years.

I agree with Senator Keane on the desirability of grant aid for people who encounter serious difficulties, perhaps based on means tests.

I commend the Bill to the House. It has to be implemented because we cannot allow our water resources to deteriorate further. We must put our environment in order.