CAVAN’S ILL-DESERVED reputation for meanness has been well and truly scotched by the approach the county has taken to the noxious issue of septic tanks.
Instead of refusing to pay a modest €50 fee for a proper inspection process, as is being threatened in other counties, Cavan pioneered the way with the people of the county paying for a comprehensive septic tank inspection regime all of their own since 2004.
As far as the European Court of Justice is concerned, Cavan is a model of progressive and enlightened environmental standards, by comparison with the other 25 counties in the State.
In a judgment that forced the Irish Government to introduce a national inspection scheme, Cavan was specifically excluded in the court’s findings.
Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan told The Irish Timesyesterday that Cavan was probably the most environmentally friendly county in Ireland and "well ahead of its time when it comes to protecting groundwater".
The people of the county will still have to pay the €50 registration fee for the national scheme but, given that the septic tanks of the county have been inspected and brought up to date, they are unlikely to face additional charges for repair and maintenance work.
Cavan TD Joe O’Reilly said yesterday that the county council had decided back in 2004 to get its house in order and comply with EU directives regardless of what the rest of the country was doing.
“We started off with an inspection charge of more than €100 and there was a high level of compliance with it,” said Mr O’Reilly.
“There was an acceptance of the need for an inspection process as most people realised that it was important to protect the quality of groundwater for our own health as well as for the tourist industry,” he added.
The Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 which generated much heat in the Dáil over the past month was a belated response to a European Court of Justice decision in October, 2009, which found Ireland, with the exception of Co Cavan, to be in breach of EU regulations on water quality going back to 1975.
In its decision, the court pointed to the example of Cavan County Council which introduced bylaws on water pollution in 2004 to implement a complete system of management of septic tanks that ensured inspections would be carried out at least every seven years.
There are about 400,000 septic tanks in Ireland, compared with some 100,000 in Scotland, and 800,000 in England.
The European Commission, which brought Ireland to the Court of Justice, argued that there were serious shortcomings in the management of septic tanks in this country which had a range of negative environmental implications.
These related to deficiencies which included incorrect construction, unsuitable siting, insufficient capacities, maintenance and inspection of septic tanks, and insufficient enforcement by local authorities.