A day-long debate on the Water Services Bill has opened with accusations that Minister for Environment Phil Hogan “told a lie” and was misrepresenting the position of Fianna Fáil's Éamon Ó Cuív.
Mr Ó Cuív told the Oireachtas Committee on Environment he had suggested Ireland tell the European Commission it needed a little more time, possibly a few weeks, to pass the water services legislation, particularly sections relating to the proposed inspection of private, domestic septic tanks.
But he said Mr Hogan had portrayed him as a man who did not want to meet a European Commission deadline for dealing with the issues of inspections of private septic tanks.
“The Minister can not go round with impunity, spreading untruths,” he said. “He told a lie about me, to put it bluntly."
However, Mr Hogan retorted that Mr Ó Cuív was “going around the country” spreading misinformation about the Water Services Bill. Mr Hogan said the actuality was that Ireland had lost a court case at the European Court of Justice and was now facing substantial fines.
The European Commission had given Ireland a deadline of February 3rd to show how the State proposed to address the issue, and the State had run out of time.
“We are here because we lost a court case, I could blame a lot of people for the reasons we are here” said Mr Hogan. “I would remind Mr Ó Cuív this case would not be going on now if he had done his business, he and his predecessors”, he said.
A proposal from Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley that the committee adjourn the debate until a later date, seconded by Independent TD Mattie McGrath was ruled out of order by the acting committee chairman, Noel Coonan.
Mr Hogan said 150 key stakeholders had been consulted by the Government on the Bill. He said it was not intended to impose the latest EPA standards for septic tanks as these were for new build. He said the EPA standards for new build were more rigorous than the risk based approach he proposed.
This risk based approach was less rigorous than standards which currently apply in Co Cavan, and which require and annual inspection.
The debate is scheduled to continue until 9.30pm this evening.
