Fionnan Sheahan: Great enforcer's retreat on fees will cost FG dear
The mobilised division of septic tank campaigners forced a strategic retreat by Phil Hogan with the dramatic slashing of the €50 registration charge to €5.
The Environment Minister finally yielded to the pressure of rural Ireland rising up in revolt against the charge.
The registration fee for septic tank owners will be reduced from €50 to €5 for a limited time. The minister says this is down to cost not being as high as originally thought, as not all tanks will be inspected.
He can rightly argue he is still pushing on with the new regime and the inspection of septic tanks will continue. And his reduced price will encourage many of the near 500,000 rural homeowners to register and avail of the discount.
But there are damaging wider implications for the coalition from the move.
The climbdown on the septic tank charge is another sign this Government will cave when sufficient squeeze is applied.
The U-turn will result in even more protests being mounted against other taxes, including the €100 household charge, in the expectation of a reversal.
Every time this Government yields some ground, it merely fosters greater resistance for separate measures.
Without actually changing anything announced at Budget time, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn announced he was reviewing the cuts to Deis schools.
The perception of a reversal of policy on urban schools prompted an intensification of the opposition to cuts to rural schools. Fine Gael TDs complained constituents were demanding action on the basis of the Mr Quinn's signal of movement.
A failure to hold the line prompts a domino effect.
The Government's authority is eroded by this latest concession of ground.
What was refreshing about Mr Hogan was how candid he was about the unpopular measures he had to introduce. He was downright unapologetic about having to take the decisions necessary to restore the country's economic sovereignty.
In his area alone, household charges, septic tank charges, water charges, property taxes and the reduction of councils are all in the pipeline.
Cashing in the popularity associated with being a new government, he sensibly announced the €100 household charge in the summer to avoid the issue flaring up at Budget time.
The minister did seem taken aback by the level of hostility generated by the passing of the law to bring in the charge in the run-up to Christmas. However, he held the line and didn't grant any additional concessions.
Fine Gael's great enforcer met his match on the septic tank furore.
His own party backbenchers were suffering under the frenzy generated by their opponents and he threw out the reduced €5 charge as a fig leaf to counter the argument about the affordability of the registration at a time when homeowners were already being hit.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny summed up the low cost when he referred to people "spluttering into their pints" and saying, 'Oh God, I should not have bought this, I should have registered the septic tank instead'."
The row over septic tanks has raged for months.
The debate in the Dail on the legislation often bordered on the farcical, with opposition TDs, lead by Independent Mattie McGrath, getting overheated and making increasingly personal attacks.
In retaliation, Luke 'Ming' Flanagan branded the coalition side "Big Phil and the Chancers".
Throughout, Mr Hogan held the line firmly, insisting the change was necessary to avoid fines from the EU and cut down on pollution of water supplies.
No stranger to robust exchanges, the minister appeared to be enjoying the cut and thrust, throwing back as much abuse as was directed at him.
Mr Hogan correctly claimed the inspection requirements were a problem he inherited.
Fianna Fail deputy leader Eamon O Cuiv helpfully chose to ignore the previous government, which he served in, was pursuing the same agenda of clamping down on septic tank pollution.
The guidelines from the Department of the Environment in 2010 -- when Fianna Fail was in power -- were more stringent than what is being proposed now.
The plan at the time was to charge householders to have every septic tank inspected.
After all the hard work of getting the legislation through, he stumbled and at what cost?
- David McWilliams
Irish Independent
