Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is all in the public domain. The plan sets out that 1,000 inspections will take place.

By and large local authorities are meeting the target of 1,000 inspections in total across the country. This is what was deemed achievable within the limited resources available at the time this was set out. On top of that, the Deputy must be aware that there is an evidence-based approach to these inspections. The system that has been developed in conjunction with the EPA targets areas where there are perceived to be issues. It is a fairly sophisticated system. There are over 400,000 septic tanks in the country. If the Deputy is asking whether a scheme should be put in place so that every one of those can be delivered on immediately, that is not realistic. There is an alternative, though, through the home renovation scheme, which I have already outlined to the Deputy. This is an option for all other householders if they have brought the matter to the attention of the local authority, have not been inspected and still want to do something about it. However, I would perceive that a household that has an issue with a septic tank and brings it to the attention of the local authority would be one of, as the Deputy calls them, the lucky few.

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