Mr. Michael Layde:

While we will raise these concerns with our colleagues who are dealing directly with it, as Senator Keane noted, the objective in this regard is to have a system in which septic tanks meet the national and European Union requirements. This means that where they do not, the work must be carried out to a satisfactory standard to ensure they ultimately will deal with it. I am aware that colleagues are considering issues pertaining to affordability of the works that must be done on septic tanks and there will be announcements in due course in that regard. In the meantime, we certainly will raise the concerns expressed with those colleagues and will ensure they are aware of the joint committee's concerns. They are already determined to ensure this will not be a mechanism by which individuals can be exploited by rogue builders or anyone else.