Mr. Joseph Gilhooly:

It is difficult to put one's finger on the timescale that would be involved. We would hope we could bring forward considerable learning from the existing trials. We would then have to examine trialling the systems that have a reform design based on what we are trying to achieve or the remaining elements that need to be addressed to ensure the system can work most effectively. It will take time to trial a system. Currently, there is no authorised development process to proceed with a trial in Leitrim. One would be depending on the design of the system, getting planning approval for it and constructing it. The system is a natural one. It must be constructed and become established and that will take some time. It could be done in conjunction with the construction of a property and the system ideally would be ready to receive effluent when the house is ready for occupation and from that point we would move to the monitoring stage.

We would work collectively and there would be an ongoing process of engagement. We would take the information from the trials, reports and analysis. After the system is established it would receive effluent and the system would have a chance to mature. Early analysis could be informative in indicating if we would have turned a corner in dealing with issues such as the escape of effluent, the composition of the effluent and if success has been achieved in separating the rainfall element with it being repelled from rather than absorbed into and discharged out of the system. We could assess if the rainfall element has been successfully dealt with, that the system is performing as well as previous systems, notwithstanding its new design and that it provides more of a cover. We would be able to show what is within the system is pure effluent, that there would be the discharge of effluent and we would be able to measure the parameters and design changes to allow us to deal with some issues such as E.coli.

That is the path we are on and it is not a short one. There is no magic formula. We would like to think this year much of the ground work could be done through the meetings we expect to have and having sites at an approval stage that would be good to proceed by spring next year. We would be looking at two years from then but that might be an early timeframe. I might have caused people some concern as they might think that within a year of the system functioning we would have research on which we could depend. We would certainly start to identify the steps being taken in the design that would have a meaningful impact. We would develop competence quickly to show the outcome of the system after the first year of occupation in the house was moving in the right direction and addressing any of the remaining issues.

There are a number of stakeholders involved other than those in this committee room. Individuals are looking to their future in Leitrim or in other counties where this problem presents and there are other stakeholders who are concerned about environmental impacts. It is important we would be able to show people we have quality assured each step as we go along so that we would not be raising any false expectations and that in setting out to achieve the best we can that we would not be generating concern about other issues within the big picture.