The Kilkenny branch of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA ) has expressed relief at the decision by the Minister for Environment, Phil Hogan, not to impose an inspection charge on septic tanks.
However ICSA Leinster vice president Paddy Kent says the association would continue to reserve caution at the planned registration charges.
“While we cautiously welcome the announcement by Minister Phil Hogan not to impose a charge on septic tank inspections, we are also seriously concerned by his Department’s plans to introduce a ‘modest’ registration fee for when a person registers their septic with their local authority,” he said.
“There should be no need for such a fee or charge to be imposed. Septic tanks are already part of any planning permission application and would therefore be on public record, it’s just an easy target to apply a further tax to householders.”
Mr Kent said that there was large scale public anger about any kind of ‘stealth tax’ on Irish rural households.
“We are also hugely concerned by what the terms of any such registration charge on tanks would be,” he said.
“We cannot allow this to follow a similar process to college registration where it is carried out on annual basis. It must be only a once-off fee.”
