I move:
That, in view of the deteriorating situation with regard to air and water pollution and the lack of up-to-date legislation to deal with the position, Dáil Éireann calls on the Minister for Local Government to introduce legislation forthwith to rectify this state of affairs.
There is a song which was very popular at one time and possibly still is: "Thank God we're surrounded by water". The constituency that I have the honour to represent, Dublin North Central, is surrounded by water. The river Liffey bounds it on one side; the river Tolka flows right through it and then it is open to Dublin Bay. Whatever else the people of Dublin North Central may thank God for, they will not thank God for being surrounded by the polluted water of Dublin. It is now two years since we started this agitation. During the election campaign of 1969 the weather was extremely fine and very suitable for canvassing. Anywere I went canvassing —and I am sure it was the same for all the candidates from Dublin North Central—I was asked what we would do about the state of the river Tolka or would anything be done about it. At that time the people living adjacent to the River Tolka told me they preferred the weather not to be too fine because when the weather was fine they could hardly stay in their homes because of the stench from the River Tolka.
Soon after that election I tabled questions to the then Minister for Local Government who is no longer a Member of this House. The replies I received were that the pollution of a river was a matter for the local authority in whose area the river happened to be. He disclaimed all responsibility for the state of the River Tolka. We then contacted Dublin Corporation and certain departments of Dublin Corporation told us they were not aware that anything was wrong except that there was an abnormally low level of water due to the fine weather. As soon as the weather deteriorated and it began to rain they felt the conditions of the Tolka would improve.
We were a voluntary body at the time and we took it on ourselves to have samples taken of the water in the River Tolka. We had those samples analysed by the Institute for Research and Standards. I am not qualified to give details of those analyses, I am sure most laymen would not be but one does not need to know a great deal about water pollution when it is explained as it was explained to us. Under one heading, oxygen demand, the normal reading for a healthy river in rural Ireland should be from four to six but in an urban area a figure of between six and eight is acceptable. We found the reading in one instance under this heading to be over 200. If the figures of four, six or eight are regarded as reasonable Deputies can judge how unreasonable the reading of 200 is.
This river flows through the Botanic Gardens which is supposed to be one of Dublin's tourist attractions. Many people who visited the gardens found they simply could not stay there. This river flows through a playground near the Botanic Gardens and the reading there under the heading I have already mentioned was between 150 and 200. Members of the medical profession have expressed the view that this could lead to different forms of disease or fever. I wonder what would happen if a child cut his foot and had to get into this polluted river?
Dollymount Strand is one of the finest strands not alone in Ireland but in Europe but for the last couple of summers people have been reluctant to use Dollymount Strand because of its polluted state. The Dublin Bay Preservation Association, which is a very strong and active association, knows all about the polluted state of Dublin Bay.
Anyone who has ever been to Dublin can tell of the polluted state of the River Liffey yet Dublin Corporation were at one stage unaware of the polluted state of the River Liffey. The Medical Officer of health for Dublin Corporation informed me in writing that he was fully aware that the River Tolka has stunk to high heaven for a number of years.