MINISTER FOR the Environment Phil Hogan has said septic tanks can be registered for €5 for the next three months but inspections will not commence until next year.
Mr Hogan told the Oireachtas environment committee there was no doubt remediation work on some systems would be necessary, but he could not make any commitments in relation to potential grant assistance. “As inspections will not commence until next year and as it is not possible to predict the future, it is not possible for me to make any commitments in relation to potential grant assistance for owners whose systems might be found to require remediation.”
Mr Hogan stressed that any grant scheme he might introduce would have to take “budgetary constraints” into consideration, as well as the financial circumstances of the households concerned.
He said an information campaign would inform householders on registering their systems before the February 1st, 2013, deadline.
The maximum registration fee payable under the Water Services Amendment Act 2012 will be €50, but Mr Hogan previously said a reduced amount of €5 would apply until September 28th of this year.
“I would encourage all owners of properties connected to domestic waste water treatment systems to take advantage of the reduced fee,” he said.
The meeting was heated at times. Independent TD Mattie McGrath said everyone was in favour of compliance, but there had been “deliberate confusion and blackguarding of the public”.
When Mr McGrath claimed “lies were told”, committee chairman Ciarán Lynch of Labour urged him to be “more temperate”. Mr McGrath then complained of “total dissimulation”, and left the committee room after being asked to do so by Mr Lynch.
