Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 6: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the reason for delays in the septic tank registration system; the timeline for the future implementation of the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22103/12]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 17: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the process for registration of septic tanks. [22120/12]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will provide public funding to meet the cost to householders of upgrading their septic tanks to meet the agreed new set of standards. [22121/12]

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will provide an update in the proposed standards for septic tanks; and when the standards will be published. [22124/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 17, 20 and 44 together.

The online and written facilities for the registration of domestic wastewater treatment systems are being developed by the Local Government Management Agency on behalf of local authorities. My Department is also examining a number of payment options to facilitate householders to the fullest extent possible in the registration process. I understand the programming work for the online system will be completed shortly. I have decided that when the registration commences, a reduced fee of €5 will be payable for the initial three months and that a fee of €50 will apply thereafter. Ample time will be provided for householders to comply with the requirement to register their on-site wastewater treatment systems. My Department will ensure a public information campaign, including details of how and when to register, will be carried out in advance of registration commencing.

I published the draft performance standards for septic tanks and other domestic wastewater treatment systems for public consultation on 1 March. The draft standards set out the responsibilities of owners of septic tanks and other systems, including requirements for the removal of sludge and ensuring systems are in working order and functioning properly. The public consultation process regarding the draft performance standards concluded on 30 March. In total, 165 submissions were received and these are being assessed in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. When this assessment has been completed, I will finalise the regulations which will give legal effect to the standards. While it is not possible to specify the dates for the commencement of the registration process or finalisation of the performance standards at preent, these matters are being given priority and I expect to be in a position to make the necessary regulations as soon as possible. At that stage, the relevant statutory instruments will be laid before each House of the Oireachtas in line with a previous commitment I gave and in accordance with section 18 of the Water Services Act 2007.

I have previously given a commitment that I will keep under consideration all options to provide financial support for householders whose systems are deemed, following inspection, to require substantial remediation or upgrading. Any decision in this regard will obviously have to take account of the nature of the inspections, the extent of the difficulties and problems which might arise from such inspections and relevant budgetary matters. A national risk-based inspection plan is being prepared by the EPA and local authorities will be responsible for carrying out inspections in their functional areas. I expect that inspections will start in 2013. Inspections may give rise to householders being advised to improve the maintenance of their systems or, in more serious situations, upgrading or remediation of their treatment systems may be required.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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My party, Sinn Féin and some Independent Members tabled amendments on Committee Stage of the Water Services (Amendment) Bill which were debated at length, in which we sought to reduce the €50 charge relating to septic tanks. It made a mockery of the Oireachtas when the Minister announced, prior to a Fine Gael branch meeting at Dundrum House Hotel, that the charge was being reduced to €5.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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That was our-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I am afraid this is Question Time. In that context, the Minister should not interrupt. There is a time limit for these questions.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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On Committee Stage, the Minister indicated that he could not accept our amendments because they would give rise to a charge on the Exchequer. It was disrespectful to the Oireachtas that he could not agree to our amendments to reduce the registration fee and that he then made an announcement in this regard on the "Six One" news programme. This matter has been dealt with in a very disjointed fashion. There was no reason people could not have registered their septic tanks when registering for the household charge.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will the Deputy please ask a question? There is a time limit for these questions.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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I am coming to it. This shows the disjointed approach being taken to some of the projects being rolled out by the Minister's Department. The Minister has indicated that the national risk-based assessment plan is being prepared by the EPA and will be rolled out by the local authorities. What is the position on the much discussed and promised grant aid scheme to assist householders who will be obliged to carry out improvement works?

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Arising from the good decisions and progress made with the European Commission, which was very different to what was proposed by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party when in government, I was in position not to have universal inspection of septic tanks or compliance with a 2009 Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, code of practice. Instead, I was able to get a risk-based approach and a solution based on the Cavan model. Accordingly, we will not need as much money to administer the system as my predecessors would have made sure of taking from rural householders. The registration was important. I decided, however, it was not necessary to take €17 million from rural householders. All that is required for this particular scheme is €3 million to €4 million.

The risk-based approach, along with the sensible and pragmatic measures we got agreement on with the European Commission, flies in the face of what was proposed in the past by my predecessors. I am delighted with that result. We will ensure a pragmatic approach is taken and we have outlined in the standards how this will happen. The pragmatic approach and the agreement from the European Commission have come as a big surprise to some people.

As I stated in the reply, if grant assistance is required for remediation arising from an inspection, then we will consider it.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call Deputy Stanley. I remind Deputies that on ordinary questions it is one minute per supplementary. We can go back again if required.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister did not give a timeframe for when the regulations will be published. I understood they would be published at the start of April and the registration process would begin then.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The draft regulations were published.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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When will the registration process begin?

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Whenever we have the approval by the Oireachtas of the commitment I gave.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister had a dig at me earlier that I do not support protecting the environment by having septic tanks working properly. The Minister knows what I have always said on that and my commitment to the environment.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is doing the opposite, however.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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There will be households in some of those high-risk areas which will need financial assistance. I urge the Minister to bring that forward. We want to protect water but if there are families caught out and they cannot afford remediation, there will be a need for financial assistance.

On the standards, the devil will be in the detail. When inspections commence, it is important the inspectors take a considered approach with householders. Initially, these will be carried out by engineers from local authorities which is good news because they know their local areas' circumstances. I hope the inspections are rolled out in a practical way and will not be an imposition on people.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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We have come a long way when we do not have people suggesting we are going to have to buy land to comply with these regulations, have planning permission or the 2009 EPA code of practice. We have come a long way from Deputy Ó Cuív and others-----

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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We have to wait and see.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Holding public meetings around the country to misinform people is a lovely thing to do. I am delighted the doomsday scenarios presented are wrong.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister is not in any position to be slapping himself on the back about anything but here he is cheerleading himself along. I do not see any of the Minister's fans on the backbenches today.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I am in favour of complying with the European Court of Justice judgment. Otherwise, the State would be paying massive amounts of fines. I am also in favour of clean water and good quality groundwater unlike Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. I regret to say that. Deputies Niall Collins and Ferris have gone around at various meetings being against it.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Do not start with that.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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On a point of order, a Cheann Comhairle, the Minister should withdraw that statement.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Sorry, Deputy, will you sit down?

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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No, I will not. He said we are not in favour of clean water.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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That is very unfair.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Sorry Deputy, there is only one person in the Chair.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Will you ask him to withdraw that statement, a Cheann Comhairle?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will you resume your seat? You will have chance tor reply in a moment.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I know Members opposite are sensitive about this because they have been at public meetings advocating people should not register, pay or comply with good practice to ensure clean water supply. What am I to do when I hear the views expressed here today in a rather hypocritical way? The greatest nonsense of all time is that those who advocated a universal septic tank inspection regime and for 2009 EPA regulations in the past are now saying the risk-based approach we have succeeded in getting from the European Commission is inadequate. I suppose the Members opposite are against the €5 registration fee.

Regarding Deputy Stanley's question, if a household requires financial assistance, I will not rule it out. However, we will not know that until the inspections are carried out in 2013.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I remind Deputies that this is Question Time and it is for asking questions. Will Deputy Niall Collins please ask a question?

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Absolutely. I am going to ask the Minister to withdraw his statement in which he said we are not in favour of having clean water.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I am not in a position to do that.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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There were public meetings where people were advocating-----

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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You will not withdraw it? That is a lie. You are telling a blatant lie.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Will the Deputy ask a question or else I will call Deputy Stanley?

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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I know the Minister is under pressure because he makes a mess of everything to which he turns his hand. He should not come in here claiming we are not in favour of clean water.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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This is Question Time.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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No, the Minister comes in here and makes a false-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Sorry, Deputy, but you have to learn to respect the Chair. It is not me personally. It is-----

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Does the Chair have respect for the truth?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Chair is here-----

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Does the Chair have respect for the truth?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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You do not question what the Chair does. The Chair is here to bring order into debate.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Yes and the Minister told a lie.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I am asking the Deputy to comply with Standing Orders.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister is lying when he says Fianna Fáil is not in favour of clean water.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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There is no question in Deputy Niall Collin's name and I have allowed him to take it. The Deputy will now resume his seat. Actually, no Deputy in the Chamber submitted the questions we are dealing with.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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I am just putting on the record of the House that the Minister is telling a lie. It is as simple as that.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Will the Minister clarify that from the first time I spoke on this I supported the risk-based approach------

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Sorry, Deputy, you will not have any more statements. You have a question or you do not. I call Deputy Clare Daly.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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I supported the risk-based approach and that is on the record of the House.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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This is Question Time. Deputies ask questions; they do not make statements.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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What about the Minister making a statement like that?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Niall Collins, you will not be called to speak if you are not careful because there are no questions in your name.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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The Minister said that grant aid would be considered if required. By whom will it be considered? What will the criteria be, from what budget will he take the funding for this and what amount will it be?

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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As I said on several occasions, I cannot talk about grant assistance with anybody until such time as I know the nature of the problem. We will not know until the inspections are carried out. I know Deputy Clare Daly would like me to give her a rather blanket answer stating there will be financial assistance. Only when I know the extent of the problem will I consider grant aid. Deputy Clare Daly may want to write a blank cheque on behalf of the taxpayer. I will not be doing that.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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It just means the Minister's promises of grant aid-----

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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As you know on the deadline for the household charge, I do not promise anything that I cannot deliver. You know I deliver.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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You need not point your finger at me, Minister.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Both sides will address their remarks through the Chair. We will move on to Question No. 7.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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I will certainly debate with you in any arena on this.