Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)

The parties to which I refer all abdicated their responsibilities in the past.

The Government does not realise the anger to which the issue of septic tanks has given rise among those living in rural areas. In my constituency and in others throughout the Twenty-six Counties, public meetings have taken place. People have come together and organised themselves and the e-mails Members have received in recent weeks provide an indication of the extent of their concerns. More than 200 people gathered in the small village of Scartaglen the week before last to voice their concerns in respect of what is coming down the tracks. The anger was palatable at that meeting and people stated that if fines are imposed by the local county council, they will not pay them. Others stated they would go to prison rather than pay fines.

The Government claims that it was necessary to introduce this Bill in order to comply with an EU directive. That is true. However, as other speakers and I have pointed out, successive Governments of which all the main parties were members were content to ignore this matter. As a result, it was placed on the long finger for decades. Ordinary householders, many of whom are already struggling, will be asked to foot the Bill for those years of neglect.

The Bill is another attack on rural dwellers and, as previous speakers indicated, it is one in a series of moves to undermine rural communities. Anyone who knows rural Ireland will be familiar with the sight of closed post offices, shops and creameries. They will be also aware that rural bus services have either been reduced or have disappeared entirely. Many villages have lost that which was once the centre of people's lives. The countryside is dotted with closed pubs and shops, which reflects the depressing economic impact of the austerity programme. Common sense indicates that the effects of closing down businesses, reducing people's incomes and denying public investment and support will lead to a vicious circle of depression.

The Bill is not formally a part of that process but there are financial implications for those on whom it will impact. The latter regard it as just another part of the attack on their living standards and on their overall standard and quality of life. In addition, and as already stated, people are angry because they perceive the Bill as part of a move towards undermining rural communities and penalising those who thought they had already complied with the regulations that were in force and who have already paid for the installation of their septic tanks. In that context, I refer to the percolation test introduced in 2009. How will the latter fit in with the new regime being introduced under this Bill?

I wish to provide one example in respect of this matter. It relates to a small village with which I am familiar and located in which are a number of small cottages. The cottages to which I refer were built before the public sewer in the village was put in place and, as a result, there are septic tanks in their back gardens, etc. The people who own these properties want to connect them to the public sewer. This would merely involve cutting into the existing sewer pipe and connecting new pipes to it from these cottages. The owners are prepared to do the remainder themselves. However, Kerry County Council wants to charge these people €10,210 to have their homes connected to the public sewer. I contacted the council as recently as 4.30 p.m. to double check that this is the position. The people who live in this small village and on its outskirts are being quoted that amount of money to achieve the connection to which I refer.

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