Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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1466. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if Irish Water will require home owners to undertake expensive upgrades to their water pipes where lead connections have been uncovered; if he can make an undertaking that such upgrades will not become mandatory for home owners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31681/15]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1477. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the introduction of grants to assist householders who have a high lead content in their water supply to replace water pipes-plumbing systems; when such grants will be made available; if they will be based on level of lead in water; if the grants will be based on income or means tested against family income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31888/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1466 and 1477 together.

The Water Services Act 2007 provides that the owner of a premises is responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the internal water distribution system to ensure that water intended for human consumption meets required quality standards. Responsibility for replacing lead pipes or fittings within the property boundaries, including within the house itself, therefore rests with the homeowner. In a joint position paper on lead published by the EPA and HSE in 2013, it is recommended that all lead pipes and plumbing in public and in private ownership should be replaced over time. The joint position paper also recommends that persons in premises with lead piping should, in the meantime, flush the supply at the kitchen tap first thing in the morning, before using. The full document is available to download from the HSE’s website at:

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On 9 June 2015, I announced a Government-approved National Strategy to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. The Strategy was prepared by my Department and the Department of Health in consultation with Irish Water, the HSE and the EPA, in order to map the scale of the problem and identify measures to mitigate any risks to human health posed by lead in drinking water. As part of the Strategy , I will be establishing a new grants scheme to assist low income households to replace lead pipes in their homes. Funding for the scheme will be finalised in the context of Budget 2016 and it is envisaged that the scheme will be administered by the local authorities . Income thresholds and other eligibility criteria will apply and the terms and conditions of the new scheme will be publicised as soon as they are finalised.