Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

Will the Minister clarify the situation in regard to the right to appeal prior notice?

I also asked about the cost of inspectors. Has a cost-benefit analysis been done in this regard? How many inspectors will be needed throughout the State and what are the budgetary implications of that? How much is the scheme expected to take in?

There must be greater clarity in regard to which regulations will be covered and how far back we can go. For example, if a person had a house built five years ago, were the regulations in place at that time good enough or will he or she be obliged to upgrade the tank? It is important to put people's minds at ease by indicating that if they complied with the regulations in, say, 2005, they will generally be fine. I accept that the Minister cannot give a blanket guarantee, but we should be able to reassure people who built homes in recent years that they will not have to replace their septic tanks.