Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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489. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if a person who has not yet registered their septic tank owing to a specific medical situation can now register their tank and still have the option to apply for a grant for remediation-upgrade works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29030/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Registration) Regulations 2012 prescribed 1 February 2013 as the date by which householders must register their domestic wastewater treatment systems. The only exception to this is where construction or installation of a treatment system takes place after that date. In such cases, the owner of the premises connected to the treatment system is obliged to register within 90 days of the connection of the premises to the treatment system.

Registration facilities have been available since 26 June 2012 and have been comprehensively publicised. Owners of domestic wastewater systems who have not yet registered may still do so and there are no late payment fees payable (but the discount for early registration no longer applies). Registration can be completed via the website or in any local authority office.

The Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013, a copy of which is available in the Oireachtas library, introduced a grants scheme for householders whose treatment systems require remediation or upgrading following an inspection carried out under the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 and the subsequent issue of an advisory notice under that legislation. A number of qualification criteria are set out in the regulations, all of which must be met in order for a grant to be paid. One of those criteria is that only householders who complied with the legal obligation to register their treatment systems by 1 February 2013 will be eligible to apply for grant aid.