Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

According to the latest figures there are almost half a million septic tanks in the State. The figure of 400,000 was being used previously. I refer to issues which are worrying people. The current regulations are not hugely onerous. However, will the situation evolve and the regulations become more onerous? For instance, in a year's time will the EPA decide these regulations are light-touch and heavier-touch regulations are required which will cost more to implement?

I keep my ears open in rural areas with regard to this issue. The second concern expressed to me by people is that of financial support for households that cannot afford to upgrade. They are afraid to register because they are afraid that once they are in the system they will draw attention to themselves which means that an inspection of the septic tank will be carried out. The septic tanks belonging to low-income households in particular may be old and may not have been upgraded for years. They may not be in a position to upgrade such tanks so they decide they will not register with the local authority. Those two concerns need to be addressed, namely, whether regulations will evolve and become stricter and the issue of financial support.

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