Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 30: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to introduce a grant to upgrade septic tanks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24922/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Primary responsibility for the prevention of pollution from septic tanks and other on-site waste water treatment systems rests with owners or occupiers of premises served by such systems. In its water quality 2004-06 report published in 2008, the EPA noted, inter alia, that greater attention needed to be given to ground water protection and in particular to prevention of pollution at source, including pollution from septic tanks. A number of measures have been taken or are under way in this area. These include strengthened legal provisions under the Water Services Act 2007 to require the occupier or owner of a premises to ensure that waste water from the premises does not cause nuisance or risk to human health or the environment; an updated code of practice for waste water treatment systems for single houses developed by the EPA which will incorporate the requirements of new European standards due to come into force on 1 July 2009; and a pilot waste water collection and treatment project for rural villages which has now been completed.

I am conscious of the need to address the findings of the EPA report on preventing pollution at source, including from septic tanks. The European Court of Justice is also due to rule in a case pertaining to the treatment of waste water from septic tanks in Ireland later this year.

The programme for Government includes a commitment in regard to a scheme of support for the replacement and upgrade of septic tanks older than 15 years with newer systems. While my Department has been examining the conditions which might attach to such a scheme, the timeframe for pursuing this commitment will remain under ongoing active review, having regard to current budgetary constraints.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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That is the most meaningless reply I have ever heard from a Minister. Nothing meaningful has happened regarding the objective of improving our ground water and addressing contamination from septic tanks. We have been waiting 18 years for the EPA manual to be updated. The Minister is implying that the commitments of the programme for Government are null and void and there is no commitment to meet the water framework directive obligations arising from the contamination of ground water by septic tanks. We are prepared to pay fines to the European Commission rather than do something meaningful about improving ground water.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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That is not the case. This is a serious problem because there are approximately 418,000 septic tanks in the country compared to England which has just over 800,000 despite being one of the most densely populated countries in the world. That puts the matter in perspective.

The Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, of which Deputy Hogan is a member, made recommendations which make sense in the context of current budgetary constraints. It has recommended that my Department develop a strategy to address concerns regarding pollution of ground water resources and the rural environment. I assure the Deputy that will be done. It also recommended that local authorities should police on-site sewage treatment and disposal processes through a variety of measures, including the establishment of panels of approved system designers, site assessors and inspection and enforcement officers, and that incentives to upgrade existing septic tanks should be introduced. I have indicated that the final recommendation is subject to budgetary constraints but that does not rule out the necessity of a proper inspection regime. The fact of the matter is that a laissez faire approach was taken to septic tanks. For whatever reason, county engineers have allowed tanks to be constructed in totally inappropriate soil types. We need to tighten up the regulations across the board.

It is not fair to say that we are prepared to pay fines because that is not something I want to countenance. I am absolutely committed to dealing with this problem but given the multitude of houses that have installed septic tanks, it is not an easy proposition.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Minister likes to think this is just a rural issue but there are septic tanks near Dublin Airport. It is as much an urban issue as it is a rural one in many parts of the country because we have not invested sufficiently in group schemes and public systems. The Minister is admitting that he has taken no initiative to address the contamination of ground water even after waiting 18 years for a manual on updated best practice. That is not good enough. Will the Minister give an undertaking that a scheme of upgrading septic tanks will be put in place in 2010 arising from the review of the programme for Government?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I have stated that the matter will have the highest priority. The European Commission is taking the matter very seriously and if we do not get our act together quickly we will face the prospect of fines.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Why should we wait for Europe?

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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We will do it all right. I hope the Deputy will support the measures I introduce. He has not done so thus far.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I remind the Minister that my party has drawn up a policy on this issue and I would be delighted to share it with him.

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Fine Gael will not implement it.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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We will.