Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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554. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to include applications that have not been inspected under the grants payable under the domestic waste water treatment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38098/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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The Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013, a copy of which are 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. Full details of the scheme, including eligibility criteria, are set out in the explanatory leaflet and application form published on my Department’s website at:.

The Regulations ensure that the limited financial resources available are targeted towards householders, particularly those on lower incomes, who incur expenditure directly as a result of the implementation of the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 and who have complied with the legal requirement to register their treatment systems by the deadline of 1 February 2013. There are no plans to extend or to vary the terms and conditions of the grant scheme.

Householders who do not meet the eligibility criteria included in the above regulations but wish to remediate or upgrade their on-site treatment systems may qualify for relief under the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) Scheme introduced under Section 5 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 2013. The HRI scheme covers main residence repairs, renovations and improvements, including the repair or replacement of septic tanks. The scheme is administered by the Revenue Commissioners and full details are published on Revenue’s website ().