THE INTRODUCTION of regulations for households with septic tanks has been strongly defended by Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore.

“The Government is proposing a reasonable measure, a once-off registration charge of €50,” he said. “There will also be an inspection regime that will be reasonable.”

Mr Gilmore was replying to Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald at Opposition leaders’ questions.

Ms McDonald said that the legislation should not go through the Dáil without the full standards by which septic tanks would be assessed being agreed, published and understood. In its absence, she said, fear and panic had spread through rural Ireland.

Later, the House passed the Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011, giving effect to the measure, by 76 votes to 34. The Bill will be considered by the Seanad for final approval next week.

Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris was ordered from the Dáil when he persisted in claiming that the Tánaiste had refused to answer a question about those who could not afford to pay for remedial works.

Ms McDonald said she was aware that what was happening stemmed from a failure by successive governments, involving Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour, to comply with a 1975 EU directive.

“Unfortunately, what the Dáil is telling rural Ireland today is that it is the people who will pay for the failure of politics,” added Ms McDonald.

She said people feared they would be faced with bills of several thousand euros that they simply could not meet.

“How can the Tánaiste defend rushing the legislation through without publishing the standards by which septic tanks will be judged and, crucially, without offering reassurance to families and individuals that there will be a fully funded grants scheme to support families who have to make repair works to their septic tanks?” she added.

Mr Gilmore said the issue dated from 2009 and had not been dealt with by the previous government.

Now, there was a February 3rd deadline within which the Bill must be enacted.

Ireland, he added, was facing possible fines, including a lump sum penalty of €2.7 million and a daily fine of more than €26,000 if the legislation was not enacted and and a way to deal with septic tanks was not found.

Mr Gilmore said the inspection regime would operate under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which had considerable experience. TDs, he said, should not whip up fears among people who had nothing to fear from the legislation.

Independent TD Tom Fleming said that stringent conditions imposed by the agency had prohibited many people from acquiring planning permission.

Many of the treatment plants installed in recent years had cost in the region of €15,000 to €20,000.

“There is a grey area regarding the criteria the inspectors will use and the subsequent policing measures,” he added.

Six or seven years ago, Kerry County Council was the first of many local authorities to implement the new EPA guidelines. People who were refused planning permission were forced to move to small towns and villages.

“I foresee huge problems for people if the proposed inspections are to be undertaken by the EPA, given its stringent conditions,” he added.

Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan welcomed Mr Fleming’s “measured contribution” on his worries regarding the agency guidelines.

He said he would consider them in conjunction with the regulations the Department of the Environment would bring forward.

“The EPA will be involved in training the staff, who will be local government staff,” Mr Hogan added.