A MEETING of Galway County Council was disrupted yesterday by a group of Connemara residents in the first major protest at the proposed septic tank charges.
About 400 protesters had earlier carried a toilet through the centre of Galway before taking their protest to the county council chamber.
The group of residents from the west Galway region have been building support in recent weeks for their campaign of opposition to the Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 which, they say, is unfair on rural dwellers.
They are opposed to having to register their septic tanks at a cost of €50 each and fear they will have to incur more expense if the legislation is passed, they say.
Spokesman for the group Pádraic an Tailliura Ó Conghaola said they were a non-political group who were vehemently opposed to the plans by Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan to implement the septic tank charge.
“I think this is an injustice to rural people, an insult. This is the first protest in Ireland against this Bill but not the last,” said Mr Ó Conghaola. “We have to build, maintain and empty our septic tanks at a cost, whereas people on the public sewerage don’t pay a penny,” he said.
Mr Hogan has said the Bill is necessary to ensure Ireland complies with a 2009 ruling of the European Court of Justice, as well as improving water quality and environment protection.
But Mr Ó Conghaola said that he had constructed his septic tank in line with the stipulations by Galway County Council when he was granted planning permission.
Accordingly, the group believed any remedial work should not be funded by rural homeowners as they followed the initial orders from their local planning authorities.
“Why should we have to pay again for something we’ve done according to the rules and regulations of our local county council? It looks like 75 per cent of all septic tanks in Connemara would not pass this inspection according to the European standard,” he added.
The protesters marched in the city centre around Eyre Square to Prospect Hill where they highlighted their case as councillors arrived for the monthly meeting of Galway County Council.
The protesters were addressed by former Fianna Fáil minister Éamon Ó Cuív and Independent TD Noel Grealish, as well as city and county councillors.
The monthly meeting of the council was adjourned for a short time after about 100 protesters entered the chamber.
Discussions took place between the protesters, the mayor of Co Galway, Cllr Michael “Mogie” Maher, and council officials.