Dáil debates

Thursday, 16 July 2015

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions

Septic Tank Grants

9:30 am

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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1. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will commit to extending eligibility for the domestic wastewater treatment systems grants to include septic tanks that are registered but which have not been inspected by a local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29451/15]

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister commit to extending eligibility for the domestic wastewater treatment system grants to include septic tanks that are registered but which have not been inspected by local authorities? Many people who have contacted me have recognised an issue with their septic tank and are cognisant of the prospect of it contaminating groundwater sources. As a result, they have sought the grant assistance that was portrayed by the Government as being available for those who wished to rectify such a situation. However, it appears one must be lucky enough to win a lottery in the local authority by virtue of the fact that the septic tank must have been tested and failed the test before one can apply for assistance. Will the Minister examine ways and means by which eligibility might be extended?

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas Library, brought into operation a grants scheme to assist with the cost of remediation of septic tanks and domestic wastewater treatment systems which were deemed, following inspection under the Environmental Protection Agency’s national inspection plan and the subsequent issue of an advisory notice by the local authority, to require repair or upgrading. The qualification criteria are set out in the legislation and full details of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, are set out in the explanatory leaflet and application form published on my Department’s website.

The grants scheme ensures the limited financial resources available are targeted towards householders, particularly those on lower incomes, who incur expenditure directly as a result of the implementation of the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012. I have no plans to extend or vary the qualifying criteria of the scheme. However, householders who do not meet the eligibility criteria included in the Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013 but who wish to remediate or upgrade their on-site treatment systems may qualify for relief under the home renovation incentive scheme introduced under section 5 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2013. The scheme covers main residence repairs, renovations and improvements, including the repair or replacement of septic tanks. The scheme is administered by the Revenue Commissioners and full details are published on their website, as the Deputy will be aware.

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister talked about the availability of the scheme and funds. The bottom line is that if somebody's septic tank is contaminating a water source and he or she contacts Irish Water or the local authority with a view to rectifying the matter, as he or she does not have the funds available to him or her to do so, despite the perception that funding is available in the form of a grant from the Government or the local authority, that is not the case. Local authorities and Irish Water are putting their hands to their ears, nobody is rectifying the position and the contamination continues. The cost to the taxpayer will be far greater in the future. The Minister says there is a grants system available, but there is not. One needs to have six numbers in the lotto. The local authority must test the septic tank, but there could be 5,000 septic tanks registered in its area. The householder's must be one of the six that are tested and one of the six that fail in order that he or she can qualify for a grant. That is not at all what it says on the tin. The perception does not meet the reality. It is time the reality met the perception and that an effort was made by the Government to adhere to the wishes of those who wish to rectify the problem and ensure there will be no contamination of water sources.

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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There is a system in place. It had to be put in place as a result of a European Court decision. Under the plan in place and working through the EPA and the local authorities, 1,000 inspections are taking place every year. By and large, local authorities have kept up with the level of inspections they were required to undertake. Incidentally, this is a minimum inspection level. If local authorities wish to increase the level of inspection, they can do so. Some are considering doing this. Regarding the inspections that have taken place, well over half of the septic tanks inspected have been found to be compliant. A considerable number of the rest just need to have normal maintenance carried out such as de-sludging and so forth. In the case of the remainder, additional work is required. Those who wish to do so apply for the grant that is available, but, given the income thresholds, obviously some will not qualify.

Photo of Seán BarrettSeán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Is the Deputy happy?

Photo of Barry CowenBarry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am far from happy. The scheme was portrayed as something it was not. When people who have difficulties with their septic tank go to the local authority to ask if they can access the grant, they are told they cannot. They must be one of the lucky ones to have their septic tank tested in the first instance and it must have failed the test. The Minister says there are thousands of inspections taking place. I will put a question to his Department in the coming weeks to ascertain exactly how many there are because it is minimal. The drawdown of funding is probably minimal also, to say the least. However, when the scheme was introduced, the impression was given that the grant would be available. Some of my constituents have come forward to avail of it, but, unfortunately, they cannot do so. There is no grants system in place for them.

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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This is all in the public domain. The plan sets out that 1,000 inspections will take place.

By and large local authorities are meeting the target of 1,000 inspections in total across the country. This is what was deemed achievable within the limited resources available at the time this was set out. On top of that, the Deputy must be aware that there is an evidence-based approach to these inspections. The system that has been developed in conjunction with the EPA targets areas where there are perceived to be issues. It is a fairly sophisticated system. There are over 400,000 septic tanks in the country. If the Deputy is asking whether a scheme should be put in place so that every one of those can be delivered on immediately, that is not realistic. There is an alternative, though, through the home renovation scheme, which I have already outlined to the Deputy. This is an option for all other householders if they have brought the matter to the attention of the local authority, have not been inspected and still want to do something about it. However, I would perceive that a household that has an issue with a septic tank and brings it to the attention of the local authority would be one of, as the Deputy calls them, the lucky few.