The Can’t Pay Won’t Pay group have hailed the grant relief for those who have to upgrade their septic tanks as a “huge victory for the ordinary homeowners of rural Ireland.”
But the group have vowed that the fight will continue to ensure fairness for rural homeowners.
Spokesperson Micheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig said “There is one reason and one reason only why the government have announced that grants of up to €4,000 will be made available for remedial works and that is the success of the non-registration campaign.
“Rural Ireland has been in revolt on this issue and homeowners have made it very clear they were not prepared to sign up to underwrite costs of thousands of euro for decades of official neglect and mismanagement. The strength of the boycott on septic tank registration and indeed on Household Charge registration have forced the government to make this concession. All along the government has been insistent that homeowners must pay the full costs.”
The group says the groundwater pollution is a serious issue which needs to be addressed, but they always argued that it was unfair to expect the individual homeowner to be burdened with the costs of fixing any problems, bearing in mind that the septic tank would have been installed in full compliance with the regulations at the time.
“It was only in 2009 when the government was dragged before the European Courts that the public were aware that successive governments had ignored the 1974 directive. That was never the fault of the individual homeowner and it is right that the state accepts liability.”
“Our concern is that the measure does not go far enough and only covers up to 80% of the cost to a maximum of €4000. This could still leave many with a large bill. Also eligibility will be means-tested. Another factor is that this is merely an announcement. We want to see legislation in place well before the deadline for septic tank registration at the end of February, so that it does not become yet another broken promise from this government.”
The CPWP says they will continue to urge septic tank owners to continue the boycott until the issue is clearer.
“In January our campaign will organise a series of meetings to ask septic tank owners their opinions. One thing is certain – the boycott works. Those who argued that a boycott could not work have been proven wrong. First we have seen the Household Charge binned a year earlier than planned. Then we see the Property Tax delayed for six months. And now we see the government offer a huge concession on septic tank costs.”
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