Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I might not be around to reduce it.

Senator Ó Clochartaigh asked about guidelines. These are listed in Section 70C of Part 4A of the Bill, which states the following.

The owner of a premises connected to a domestic waste water treatment system shall—

(a) comply with regulations made under section 70L,

(b) ensure that the system does not constitute, and is not likely to constitute, a risk to human health or the environment,

and, in particular does not—

(i) create a risk to water, air or soil, or to plants and animals,

(ii) create a nuisance through noise or odours, or

(iii) adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest,

and

(c) ensure that the system is entered on a register of domestic waste water treatment systems in accordance with section 70B.

This amends the principal Act to set out the principles with which we will comply. As I have said several times, these are new regulations, in conjunction with the EPA and the local authorities, which ensure that we have good quality ground water, that we are not contaminating ground water sources, that we are not contaminating water to an extent of risking public health, and that we are protecting the environment. These are set out quite explicitly. The Senator will have to accept that the prescriptive nature of including what he is asking cannot be put in the legislation, but will have to be put in the regulations that subsequently follow.