Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1790. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if funding will be provided to all persons who have septic tanks for upgrade if required (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1426/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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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 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 Environmental Protection Agency’s 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 undertake repairs or upgrades to, or replacement of, a septic tank or other domestic waste water treatment system.  Applications for grant aid are administered by the local authorities in whose functional area the particular domestic waste water treatment system requiring remediation is situated. The local authorities then seek recoupment of the amounts paid from my Department. 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 the following link:

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My Department keeps the operation of this scheme under review, particularly in terms of the impacts of the scheme on tackling diffuse pollution which is a pressure in many water catchments as identified in the draft River Basin Management Plan.  To this end, the grant scheme, as currently outlined, 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.

However, my Department intends to initiate a review of this scheme to assess whether it can better support the programmes of measures in the finalised River Basin Management Plan 2018-2021 which I intend to publish by end-March 2018. It is intended to examine, in particular, whether the scheme can be modified to provide particular support to high status waters.

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.