New Septic Tank Laws Must Not Add Further Costs to Rural Dwellers – IFA

IFA Environment and Rural Affairs Chairman Pat Farrell has called on the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan to ensure that no additional costs or extra bureaucracy are imposed on rural dwellers if his Department introduces new legislation for the management of waste water from rural houses.

He said, “Rural dwellers already bear increasing water and school bus charges, which are not imposed on people living in cities and towns. In addition independent research carried out by the ESRI shows that the carbon tax is imposing a disproportionately higher cost on people living in the countryside. These costs continue to cause financial difficulties for many rural families and the introduction of a septic tank charge is simply unaffordable.”

Mr. Farrell concluded, “The majority of septic tanks built to deal with waste water from private households were constructed to the standard required by the EPA and the County Councils. If the Minister is now seeking to change these standards and impose further obligations on rural dwellers then these measures will be resisted, unless the concerns of rural dwellers are fully addressed.”