Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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970. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if there is assistance available for the repair of a sewerage system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20642/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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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 individual 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 qualification criteria for the grants scheme are set out in the legislation and 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: .

Responsibility for the administration of my Department’s Rural Water Programme, under which funding is available for group sewerage schemes, has been devolved to local authorities since 1997. The selection, prioritisation and approval of individual group scheme proposals for advancement and funding under the programme, within the overall priorities set by my Department and subject to the block grant allocations provided, is, therefore, a matter for the local authorities. An increase in the grant for group sewerage schemes to €6,500 per house or 75% of the cost of the scheme, whichever is the lesser, was announced in December 2012. The previous rate of grant available was €2,031.58 per house or 75% of the cost, whichever was the lesser.