Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I would be grateful if the Minister clarified the reasons for the five-year term. How was it arrived at? What criteria were used to establish that five years would be the required time? The explanatory memorandum refers to section 70B(1) and explains that it provides that each water service authority will be responsible for establishing and maintaining a register of treatment systems within its functional area. I assumed that the concept of registration was to establish that the number of septic tanks in the country was the same that the local authorities already know about, and that the system of registration would then allow for inspections to be carried out. That is why I am perplexed as to why there is a time limit put on it. Surely once a septic tank is registered and that register is then maintained, no updating needs to be done. A person either has a septic tank or not. It is unlikely that a person who has a septic tank will not have it after five years, because once it is sunk it is there and it will be used. The instances of people abandoning a house are rare.

Without labouring the point, I would like the Minister to enlighten us as to how this was decided. I would like him to address it in the context of the concept of registration and the reasons for registration, which is about maintaining a register.