Written answers

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Septic Tank Inspections

Photo of Pat DeeringPat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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499. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of septic tank inspections that have been carried out in the past 12 months; the number of these which related to registered and non-registered tanks; the number of tanks that have failed inspection; and the amount that has been paid in grants for upgrading failed systems, on a county basis. [42923/14]

Photo of Brendan  RyanBrendan Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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528. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an up-to-date report on the details of the septic tank grant scheme, including clarification on the number of septic tank improvement grants issued so far; the total fund in place to provide for such grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43216/14]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 499 and 528 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 Systemswas adopted and published by the EPA in February 2013. The Plan provided for a minimum of 1,000 inspections to be carried out by the local authorities in the 12 month period up to July 2014. The EPA subsequently informed the local authorities that a further 500 inspections on a pro-rata basis should be carried out during the period July to December 2014. Details of the minimum number of inspections to be carried out in each county are included in the Plan.

My Department does not have any direct role in monitoring the implementation of the EPA’s Plan by the local authorities. However, the EPA has conducted an interim review on the implementation of the National Inspection Plan for the period from July 2013 to February 2014. The report, which is available on the Agency’s website at , contains a breakdown by county of inspections that have taken place and the number of non-compliant treatment systems for which advisory notices were issued.

On 4 November 2014, the EPA informed the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht that of 987 inspections carried out, 476 of the treatment systems failed the inspection. The Agency has indicated that it intends to carry out a review of the first year’s operation of the inspection plan and I understand that a public consultation regarding this review will be undertaken with the aim of developing a new inspection plan for the three years commencing in January 2015. The number of inspections to be carried out under the new plan is a matter for the EPA.

Applications for grant aid in respect of remediation works are submitted to, and processed by, the local authorities who then seek recoupment of the amounts paid from my Department. There is no specific fund set aside for the grants scheme. Grants are recouped to the local authorities, on a demand - led basis, from my Department’s Rural Water Programme. Details of thegrants recouped by my Department to date are set out in the following table.

SEPTIC TANKS 2014

CountyNo. of GrantsAmount Drawn
Carlow--
Cavan--
Clare--
Cork--
Donegal--
Galway415,300.06
Kerry --
Kildare--
Kilkenny--
Laois--
Leitrim--
Limerick26,500
Longford14,000
Louth14,000
Mayo--
Meath725,714.32
Monaghan--
Offaly--
Roscommon--
Sligo13,161.75
Tipperary36,360.40
Waterford--
Westmeath--
Wexford--
Wicklow--
Total1965,040.53

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