Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 54, 79, 82 and 99 together.

In October 2009 the European Court of Justice ruled that Ireland had failed to adopt the necessary legislation to comply with Articles 4 and 8 of the EU waste directive regarding domestic waste water disposed of in the countryside through septic tanks and other individual waste water treatment systems. The ruling highlighted deficiencies in Irish legislation regarding waste water disposed of through septic tanks and similar systems. The enactment of the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012, and the subsequent regulations I signed to guarantee effective implementation of that legislation, were therefore necessary to ensure that Ireland achieves compliance with both the ruling and its responsibilities under the waste directive.

My Department has been in ongoing liaison with the European Commission since the court ruling, particularly with regard to the drafting of the legislation. The legislative provisions regarding registration of domestic waste water treatment systems and the introduction of a risk-based inspection system are intended to ensure compliance with the court ruling. The inspection system provided for in the legislation and currently being finalised by the Environmental Protection Agency is also in accordance with the recommendations of the European Parliament and Council of 4 April 2001 regarding the minimum criteria for environmental inspections in the member states. The European Court of Justice considered an application from the European Commission for the imposition of fines against Ireland at a hearing on 4 October last and the court's decision in this regard is now awaited. At the hearing the Commission indicated that its primary complaint in the case was the time taken to comply with the ruling rather than the legislative approach that had been adopted by Ireland.

There is no current scheme of financial support for the upgrading of septic tanks. I have stated on a number of occasions that I am prepared to consider all possible options to provide financial support to householders whose waste water treatment systems are deemed, following inspection under the new legislation, to require substantial remediation or upgrading. The remedial action required on foot of septic tank inspections under the new system will, in many cases, only mean that householders are obliged to de-sludge their tanks more frequently. In other cases, householders may be required to carry out repairs to improve the performance of malfunctioning septic tanks. The provision of any financial support will have regard to the overall budgetary situation and to the financial position of the individual households concerned. However, it would be inappropriate for me to give any guarantees until the need for financial support is determined. The extent of problems with domestic waste water treatment systems and the remediation costs arising will not be clear until such time as inspections are being carried out.

As of 22 October, more than 250,000 owners of domestic waste water treatment systems have registered online, by post or in person at their local authority offices. I understand that the central bureau operated by the Local Government Management Agency is currently working through the postal and over-the-counter registrations that are to be processed. The launch of the registration programme in June was accompanied by a public awareness campaign. Information on how to register and on the fees payable was broadcast by local radio stations nationwide and advertisements were also placed in local and regional newspapers. Information regarding how to register was also published on a number of websites, including those of the Department, the EPA and local authorities. During the period from late August to mid-September, local authorities distributed information leaflets to homes in areas without sewerage systems, advising householders of the legal requirement to register by 1 February 2013, along with details of how to register and the reduced registration fee available until 28 September 2012. It is intended that a further publicity campaign will take place in order to inform householders of their legal responsibility to register by 1 February 2013.

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