Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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583. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will introduce a grant scheme for septic tank owners who need to upgrade their systems without being inspected by local authorities (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24824/16]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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634. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if a householder can request an inspection in a case where a septic tank is evidentially not working in order to receive grant aid to upgrade the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25909/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 583 and 634 together.

Section 70 of the Water Services Act 2007 places a duty of care on the owner of a premises to ensure that their waste water treatment systems are kept so as not to cause, or be likely to cause, a risk to human health or the environment, including waters, the atmosphere, land, soil, plants or animals, or create a nuisance through odours. The duty of care provisions have been augmented by the Water Services (Amendment) Act 2012 and associated regulations. Any person whose treatment system fails an inspection or, in the absence of an inspection, considers that their treatment system constitutes, or may constitute, a risk to human health or the environment is responsible for having any necessary remediation works carried out without delay.

Local authorities carry out inspections of septic tanks and similar systems for a variety of reasons, including water quality issues at drinking water sources or within designated shellfish or bathing water catchments and arising from reports of pollution from members of the public. Separately, inspections are carried out based on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Inspection Plan 2015 – 2017: Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems.This plan uses a risk-based methodology for the selection of systems for inspection , taking into account factors such as densities of individual treatment systems across the numerous hydrological and geological settings in Ireland and the locations of sensitive groundwater or surface water receptors. The selection of treatment systems for inspection under the EPA plan is carried out by the local authorities using an IT system developed by the EPA. Householders cannot request inspections of their own treatment systems, nor are inspections under the plan carried out based on third party complaints.

The Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2013 brought into operation a grant 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 National Inspection Plan, 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. The grant scheme ensures 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. It is not proposed to introduce a further scheme in the area at this time. 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:

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Householders who do not meet the eligibility criteria for the grant under the aforementioned Regulations and who wish to remediate or upgrade their on-site treatment systems may qualify for relief under the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) Scheme introduced pursuant to 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 the Revenue Commissioner’s website at www.revenue.ie.