Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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19. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a county breakdown of the number of septic tank improvement grants distributed to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51926/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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On 25 June 2013, I signed the Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013, a copy of which are available in the Oireachtas library. The Regulations brought into operation a grants scheme to assist with the cost of remediation of septic tanks and domestic waste water treatment systems which are deemed, following inspection under the EPA’s National Inspection Plan and the subsequent issue of an Advisory Notice by the local authority, to require repair or upgrading.

The Regulations provide that, subject to the applicant meeting all qualification criteria, a local authority may pay a grant to a person who is required, following an inspection, to have repairs or upgrades to, or replacement of, a septic tank or other domestic waste water treatment system. Applications for grant aid are administered by the local authorities in whose functional area the particular domestic waste water treatment system requiring remediation is situated. Where a local authority pays a grant under the scheme, my Department will recoup 100% of the amount paid by the local authority. To date, no applications for recoupment have been submitted by the local authorities to my Department.