Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I understand the Minister said in the registration, which is to last five years, septic tanks may not be inspected. If that is correct, it flies in the face of the framework of the Bill and the decision of the European Court of Justice.

One worry I had was that once one registered an inspection would necessarily follow within a five year period. If there is a problem in west Cork, Kilkenny, Connemara or Donegal, having a cop-out to placate Europe does not mean that a septic tank on the Beara Peninsula which may be polluting aquifers would be inspected. If that is not the case there are inherent flaws in the Bill which the Minister may need to examine. I am not saying I agree with that.

However, the thrust of the Bill is that a person has to pay €50 to register but is not inspected for five or ten years. There are many more septic tanks than we would like to see in the country which may be polluting streams, roads or aquifers. If that is the case the registration system will fall far short of what the Minister, Department and Europe envisages it should be.