Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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174. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the supports or financial assistance available to householders who cannot afford to repair their septic tanks or bring them up to standard and who are not necessarily in a high risk area where an inspection is going to be carried out so may not qualify for the grants for remedial works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10303/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 requires owners of premises connected to domestic waste water treatment systems to operate and maintain their systems so as to ensure that those systems do not create a risk to human health or the environment. 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 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.

The introduction of a grants scheme for any purpose must be managed within current budgetary constraints and, in so far as the funds administered by my Department are concerned, there are no plans to introduce an additional scheme in relation to domestic waste water treatment systems.