Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If people feel that they have problems with their septic tanks, they are already breaking the law if they do not comply with the water source and water quality issues covered by the Water Services Act 2007. Local authorities have been inspecting septic tanks for years.

Deputy Cowen is asking me to arrange inspections for everybody so they can draw down a grant. That is not the arrangement we have entered into with the European Commission to comply with the European Court of Justice judgment that Fianna Fáil failed to do anything about and which resulted in fines of €2.7 million.

Out of the €28 million, €23 million will be allocated for rural water schemes and €5 million for septic tanks this year. We are putting €5 million into the Estimate in case people have a problem. All the Opposition Members told people at public meetings that it could cost up to €20,000 to repair a septic tank. Deputy Ferris was not behind the door in going around supporting this sort of nonsense at public meetings on water quality.