Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to the House and thank him for taking this matter on the Adjournment. I commend him for moving to implement this legislation as I know it has rested on successive Ministers' desks as a way of avoiding the enactment of it and complying with our EU obligations in this regard.

We all know that clean water is essential not only for our health and well-being but is a prerequisite for multinational companies who want to set up on these shores. Clean water is of paramount importance to the economy and our health. Given the existence of approximately 450,000 septic tanks and wastewater treatment systems, the Department and associated agencies have quite a large number to police. While registration is mandatory, could the Minister provide the House with an update as regards the most recent registration numbers of wastewater treatment systems under the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012?

It is an unfortunate reality that many householders are struggling. In particular, there is a significant number of rural householders who face the possibility of having to spend thousands of euro upgrading their tanks while city dwellers do not face such charges. Not only is this an inequity, it is financially onerous on people living in rural areas in these recessionary times. I ask the Minister to earnestly consider providing financial support for low-income families for remediation works that may be necessary following an inspection under the Act.