Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 26 October 2023

Public Accounts Committee

Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 3: Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 4: Accountability of the Central Funding of Local Authorities.

9:30 am

Photo of Marc Ó CathasaighMarc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I do not mean to interrupt, but I have an eye on the clock. We have a picture of the situation at wastewater treatment plant level, but we do not have a picture of small private water supplies. Rather, we do not have anywhere near as clear a picture as we need. Another concern is septic tanks. I suppose I am referring to water in, water out. According to an EPA report from June 2022 on septic tank inspection rates, 1,147 inspections had been carried out. Of that tiny number, 53% of septic tanks failed and 29% were considered a risk to human health. Twenty tanks were tested in Waterford that year. What is our testing rate? How many domestic septic tanks are there and what percentage of them are we testing per year?