Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the Environmental Protection Agency has published the manual of standards that will be used by inspectors when examining private waste water systems under the Waste Water Act 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42040/12]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will publish all correspondence between himself, his Department and the Environmental Directorate of the European Union in relation to standards regarding private waste water systems here under the Water Services Act 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42041/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 393 and 394 together.

The EPA is responsible for developing a National Inspection Plan upon which the risk-based inspection of domestic wastewater treatment systems will be based. The Plan will be in accordance with the EU’s Recommendation for minimum Criteria for Environmental Inspections document (Reference 2001/331/EC) which makes recommendations for the consistent implementation and enforcement of Community environmental law in all EU Member States and is the appropriate framework for the carrying out of environmental inspections. The EPA will publish the final Plan later this year and inspections will commence next year. The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 was required to ensure compliance with the 2009 ruling of the European Court of Justice. My Department continues to liaise with the European Commission regarding implementation of the legislation. The correspondence between my Department and the Commission on the matter is exempt from release under Section 24 of the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003.