Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if schools who have registered their septic tank or waste water treatment plant will receive a grant if their system requires an upgrade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8186/13]

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if a commencement date has been set for the septic tank upgrade grant in view of the fact that the current situation is causing uncertainty resulting in very few tanks and systems been sold at this time with a knock on effect on suppliers. [8273/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 493 and 497 together.

The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 requires owners of premises connected to domestic waste water treatment systems to register their systems. The requirement to register does not apply to schools. If a school’s treatment system has been registered in error, the person who registered it should apply to the Local Government Management Agency’s central bureau to have the treatment system removed from the register and the registration fee refunded.

I recently announced my intention to introduce a grant scheme to provide financial assistance to households whose septic tanks and other domestic wastewater treatment systems are deemed to require remediation following an inspection under the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012. The grant scheme will only apply to treatment systems which are the subject of an Advisory Notice issued by a water services authority following an inspection carried out under the 2012 Act and based on the EPA’s risk-based inspection plan. Full details of the grants scheme will be set out in regulations which I will make in advance of inspections commencing later this year.