Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

It was my first opportunity to speak on Committee Stage and I wanted to point that out at the outset.

What is relevant to section 3, however, is the issue of the inspectors being appointed under the legislation. We have tabled a number of amendments to section 3 on the role and the work of inspectors as outlined in the legislation and I hope they will be considered because it would protect people in their homes.

Section 3 refers to an inspector appointed by the agency. That is alarming because we are dealing with private citizens who are not responsible to any public agency but because they complete an application form to apply to become inspectors, having paid the registration fee of €1,000, they will become inspectors of septic tanks throughout the country.

According to the Bill those people must comply with certain conditions which include a minimum qualification to be held - I would like clarification on what is a minimum qualification - and training to be completed. I understand the Environmental Protection Agency runs a training course for inspectors but the Minister might outline to the House the exact content of that training programme and whether he believes there are competent people within the local authority structure or the Environmental Protection Agency who could carry out this work without having to employ what is effectively an army of private inspectors who will have no public accountability. The Bill states that indemnity insurance is required and any other requirements. The Minister might outline how wide or varied those requirements would be.

The powers of inspection the inspector would have under the Bill not only alarms me and those on this side of the House but also people up and down the country. I have attended at least six public meetings in my constituency on the issue of septic tank charges. Almost 1,000 ordinary people living in rural areas attended those meetings and all of them disagree with the Minister's Bill because they have been educated on what it contains. These are ordinary people living in rural communities - farmers, housewives, public servants, people working in the private sector and those who do not have jobs. The Irish Farmers Association, and I am delighted the chairman of the environment committee is present in the Visitors' Gallery----