Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)

While €50 may not be a large amount of money to some, it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back for others. Sinn Féin fully supports the upgrading and maintenance of septic tanks. I also agree that groundwater and the environment should be protected. However, I recognise that some will simply not be able to meet the costs involved. A fund must, therefore, be established to assist householders who will be required to upgrade their systems. Hundreds of millions of State funds were invested in urban wastewater systems. The same support must now be given to rural householders required to improve their septic tanks.

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