Mr. Joseph Gilhooly:

I am familiar with the amendments in the draft code of practice that was published and referred to earlier in terms of the technology around the drip dispersal system and the low pressure piping system. The Deputy must take into account that there is an acute problem with soils in County Leitrim. One does not have many borderline cases - one is either okay or far from okay. Allowing for the new systems that have been suggested in the draft code, if it is approved, and the changes in the level of the T-test that would arise, because those systems would allow a higher T-test to be acceptable, we would be of the view that that would have a very limited positive impact on the county because of the soil types we have. It does not really matter if one has a T-test of 90, 110, 120 or 130. The new technologies are those that can handle the system and allow for a higher level of T-test. As alluded to earlier, there are situations where one is successful and data shows we are granting one-off houses in a very limited number of areas. We would welcome any positive adjustment to the code of practice. It is not that we are negative towards it; we would welcome it and be delighted to see it coming. However, it would not be a solution sufficient to the degree of need that exists in County Leitrim.

In terms of where we are at with our work at the moment and going forward, I am familiar with the space in so far as I was assigned to the planning department as director in September 2010 and this issue was the first thing on my desk when I arrived. I had a period of learning and coming up to speed with what was happening and what options did and did not exist. We worked our way through that from both official and political perspectives and reached a point in 2012 and 2013 where we started to consider piloting various options. We considered what was out there that could work and then we piloted them in the context of County Leitrim and Ireland, if one considers this internationally. That work has been ongoing and we have accumulated a certain level of knowledge and understanding. I have been with this process since then and believe we are on the cusp of making some progress. I am very much encouraged by the meeting that we had recently with my colleagues here from the Department and the EPA, all of whom have emphasised their willingness to work closely with us to assist in coming up with strategies to deploy the options. Examining ways to work collaboratively is very important to us.

We have worked in isolation for a good while, and I do not mean this negatively, but we had a sense that we would go ahead, do some work, pilot something, get research, and then, when we had all our papers together, we would arrive at the door of the Department or the EPA with all this done, asking if we could try to find some way of implementing it on a more general application basis. We have the opportunity here to cut that stage out, so that we might move forward collaboratively and collectively from next week when we intend to meet on this. We would no longer be using a two-pronged approach, whereby, having done a certain level of research, we set about establishing something we think works, compile our reports, and then have to go into sales mode to get the success of the information and research we have done across to others. If we do that together, we can save a lot of time.

We are encouraged by the work we have been doing with Trinity College on what the next phase of the willow system pilot would look like. At this stage, we are 100% focused on the willow evapo-transpiration system as a solution worth pursuing. We are encouraged by the existing research on how to strip out more of the rainfall impact on the system, which could be achievable, but its impact on the efficiency of the system has to be tested and that is why we need to pilot it. Calculations from some previous reports, which were alluded to earlier, suggested a reduction of 60% in the rainfall hitting the system, which could make the difference in there being discharge or not. We think that figure is achievable, provided the revised design process is still efficient and deals with the system properly. We are encouraged, and are looking forward to proceeding along the lines that have been set out collectively and collaboratively with the EPA and the Department.