Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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39. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when householders will be able to avail of grants to improve their septic tanks. [20304/13]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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40. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update in the number of septic tanks that have been inspected by his Department to date; the total number of tanks he intends to have inspected in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20424/13]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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42. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if householders can be proactive and if they will be able to avail of grants to improve their septic tanks in advance of any inspection being carried out by their local authority, or if they will have to wait to be inspected and failed. [20305/13]

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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157. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if a commencement date has been set for a septic tank inspections; when the grant for upgrading malfunctioning systems will be rolled out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20904/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 40, 42 and 157 together.

The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 assigns responsibility to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make a National Inspection Plan for domestic wastewater treatment systems. The National Inspection Plan 2013: Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems was adopted and published by the EPA in February 2013. The Plan provides for a minimum of 1,000 inspections to be carried out during the twelve-month period commencing in July 2013. Details of the minimum number of inspections for each council area are included in the Plan. It is the responsibility of the water services authorities (the 34 county and city councils) to implement the Inspection Plan in their functional areas.

The Local Authority Services National Training Group, in consultation with my Department, the EPA and the water services authorities, is overseeing the development and delivery of a training course for inspectors. The course will shortly be rolled out to water services authority personnel who have successfully completed the training course and who meet the qualification criteria set out in the Water Services Act 2007 (Registration and Inspections) Regulations 2012, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library. The EPA is responsible for the appointment of the inspectors.

In December 2012 I 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. Provision for the scheme is being made from my Department's Vote in 2013. The grant scheme will only apply to owners of 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. Full details of the scheme will be set out in regulations which I will make in advance of inspections commencing.