The Green Party are advising householders across the country to register their septic tank online before this weekend when the cost of registration increases from €5 to €50.

Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan said: "Having a proper registration and maintenance system for septic tanks makes simple common sense. Some ten percent of our group water schemes are polluted each year and faulty septic tanks are a major contributor to that problem. How can anyone justify a negligent approach to something which threatens the health of our people, particularly young children, pregnant women and the elderly.

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"Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein are playing their usual populist politics by encouraging people not to register but they are just leading people up a garden path that will cost them more in the long run.

"I can understand peoples anger at the way that Minister Phil Hogan has introduced various charges but that should not be a reason for not doing the right thing. It makes real sense to do it before Saturday when the cost increases tenfold. It is hard to know what Minister Hogan will do if the numbers don't increase dramatically. Doing nothing about the problem is not an option and backing down yet again by waiving the higher charge for a longer period would send out a signal that he has lost whatever authority he now retains."

(CD)