Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has encouraged septic tank owners to avail of the reduced registration fee of €5 before a deadline this Friday, September 28th.
Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships today, Mr Hogan thanked the 113,000 householders who already registered and urged those who had not paid to do so.
He noted the surge in registrations for the septic tank fee and said it was similar to the increase in registrations for the household charge in March.
“People pay at the deadline, they pay when they have to as I do with my motor tax. This week to avail of the discount rate of €5, a lot of people have been coming to their local authority or paying online. Twenty-five per cent of people have paid to date and most of that has happened in the last two weeks. I expect a lot of people to be logging on this week to get the discount rate of a fiver."
Mr Hogan urged those to register before Friday, as after that it will cost €50 to register.
"Anecdotal evidence has shown that the introduction of the registration has already improved our environment with people locating their tanks for the first time in years and getting them desludged. People can register on www.protectourwater.ie,” he said.
Homeowners who have a septic tank or waste-water treatment system need to register their system by February 1 2013. The registration fee is €5 until 28th September increasing to €50 after that date. The risk-based system of inspections will commence in 2013 and will be objective and evidence-based, unless there is evidence of endangerment of human health or the environment, the system in place should pass inspection.
Mr Hogan added that payment of the household had exceeded expectations: "I want to thank the people that have paid to date. Sixty-seven per cent of people have paid. Contrary to what a lot of commentators predicted, who said only 30 per cent would pay. It is essential to local services and I’m very anxious that the people who have not paid, pay as soon as possible.
“I think it’s very unfair to expect the other 33 per cent to not pay. It will be paid, one way or the other over the next while. I don’t think people should be duped into thinking that this tax is going away.”