Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

249. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the amount of money paid by his Department in 2016 to local authorities for the upgrade of private wastewater facilities; his plans to extend eligibility for this grant to all registered owners of such facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8150/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 septic tanks and domestic waste water treatment systems which are deemed, following inspection under the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Inspection Plan, to require repair or upgrading. 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. 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 clearly set out in the explanatory leaflet and application form published on my Department’s website at the following link:

.ie/en/Publications/Environment/Water/FileDownLoad,33607,en.pdf.

It is not proposed to make any changes to the grant scheme at this time.

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 the Revenue Commissioner’s website (www.revenue.ie).

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. Details of the grant amounts recouped by my Department to local authorities since the scheme was introduced in 2013 are published on my Department’s website at the following link:

.