Dr. Eimear Cotter:

We have covered wastewater over the course of the evening. We have as much focus on the other sectors that put pressure on water qualify as we do on agriculture. A graph on page 7 of our opening submission shows that urban wastewater is the fourth most prevalent pressure on water quality, affecting approximately 200 water bodies around the country. We are the environmental regulator for Uisce Éireann. In that capacity, we carry out annual inspection programmes. Non-compliance proceedings are opened when necessary. We take prosecutions when we need to. It is not correct to say there is not the same focus by the EPA on the role of wastewater on water quality as on the role of agriculture. However, it is also a fact that agriculture is the most prevalent pressure on water quality, affecting 1,000 water bodies around the country.

As outlined in the same graph on page 7 of the opening submission, septic tanks are the sixth most prevalent pressure on our water quality. We oversee the national inspection programme for septic tanks. The inspections are carried out by local authorities. There is a high non-compliance rate and 45% of 1,100 inspections carried out last year were non-compliant. We need to see those being fixed. We are not seeing the grant being taken up, despite the changes that were introduced recently. I cannot answer on the specific question as to why someone in one part of an area is eligible, while people in another part are not. I do not know whether anyone can add to that. It is not something I can answer.