Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

It is a very good phrase. There are 450,000 septic tanks in the country, not all of which operate to the satisfaction of the Environmental Protection Agency. The cost of replacing these tanks will be approximately €15,000 per household if they are close to a public water supply. The reality is that the people will not be able to afford this and the Government will need to introduce a grant scheme in this regard. It is unacceptable to introduce a €200 to €300 charge just for inspections because people know the exact state of their septic tanks and are prepared to discuss it with the local authorities. This is an outrageous attack on people living in rural areas.