Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Some 165,000 households use septic tanks as their wastewater treatment. The contamination and potential for contamination of groundwater in household wells can be very significant for human health and the environment, particularly for vulnerable groups such as infants, pregnant women and elderly people and people with underlying health conditions, as well as the risk of phosphorous, nitrogen potential sources of pollution. It is a very serious issue across the country given the number of systems in place in individual households.

The policy of providing grant funding for remedial work on septic tanks arises from the need to address damage being done to water quality in sensitive areas, in particular.

There are three grant schemes available to householders relating to domestic wastewater treatment systems, commonly known as septic tank grants. The purpose of these grants is to incentivise householders to carry out works to defective septic tanks. The grants are focused on the areas of greatest environmental priority to protect human health and the environment, and are not general in application.

Householders can avail of the grants if their domestic wastewater treatment system has failed an inspection under the national inspection plan and an advisory notice has been issued or if the septic tank is located in either a prioritised area for action or a high-status objective catchment area, as identified in the river basin management plan.

I can confirm that, following extensive consultation with key stakeholders in the rural water sector, my Department completed a review of the terms and conditions of the three grants. As a result of this review and the recommendations made, in November 2023 the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, announced significant improvements to the grants available. The changes, which came into effect on 1 January 2024, are an increase in the maximum grant amount available to €12,000, up from €5,000, and removal of the requirement to have had the septic tank registered in 2013. The grants continue to be available only in circumstances relating to risks to water quality or human health or both and we have no plans to make further changes. Full details of the grants can be found on the Department's website.

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