Ifa reaction to announcement on septic tanks

Reacting to the announcement this evening by the Minister for the Environment on septic tanks, IFA President John Bryan acknowledged that Minister Phil Hogan has recognised the need to minimise the financial impact on rural dwellers who have to register their septic tank.

John Bryan said, “Householders in rural areas have been hit hard with a range of extra charges and costs. The Minister’s announcement that a charge of just €5 will apply until June will come as a relief to hundreds of thousands of people with their own tanks.”

Mr Bryan re-iterated IFA’s view that a retro-fit scheme must be introduced immediately to assist householders who may have to upgrade their tank following an inspection. He said, “Rural dwellers have already invested in the installation and maintenance of their own treatment system, and will want to ensure that it works properly to protect the environment. A retro-fit scheme would also help to create badly-needed jobs in the rural economy.”

Concluding, the IFA President said, “The Minister’s commitment that inspections would be visual, and only tanks installed after 2009 will have to meet the most recent standards set down by the EPA, is important.”


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