Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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559. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of inspections carried out by a local authority (details supplied) on septic tanks over the past three years; the efforts that have taken place to ensure that Covid-19 has not resulted in a detrimental decrease in the number of inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1957/22]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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560. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the types of grant aid available to households in cases in which a septic tank has failed an inspection by a local authority; if consideration is being given to extending potential grant aid for repairs in circumstances in which an immediate environmental risk is evident outside the inspection process by local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1958/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 559 and 560 together.

Section 70K of the Water Services Act 2007 (as amended) requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare a national inspection plan with regard to the inspection and monitoring of domestic waste water treatment systems, and authorises the water authorities to implement the plan including arranging for inspections. 

The EPA publishes an annual report on inspections, the latest report for 2020 can be found on the EPA's website at the link below, which may be helpful to the Deputy.www.epa.ie/publications/compliance--enforcement/waste-water/-domestic-waste-water-treatment-system-inspections-2020.php

The Deputy may also wish to contact the local authority mentioned in the details supplied for further information in relation to his request.

Under the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations 2012, the owner of a domestic waste water treatment system is responsible for its maintenance and renewal and shall ensure that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational where appropriate and kept in good order and repair so as to prevent a risk to human health or the environment.

My Department provides financial assistance towards the remediation, repair or upgrading works to, or the replacement of a domestic waste water treatment system under new and revised grant schemes which launched in June 2020. The schemes are focused on areas of greatest environmental priority rather than general in application. This is in line with Government Policy which is framed in the context of meeting relevant obligations under legislation. The grant schemes are administered by the local authorities on behalf of my Department and details of the Terms and Conditions for each scheme can be found on my Department’s website at the following link:www.gov.ie/en/publication/6cc1e-domestic-waste-water-treatment-systems-septic-tanks/?referrer=http://www.housing.gov.ie/water/water-quality/domestic-waste-water-systemsseptic-tanks/domestic-waste-water-treatment-1 

The types of grant aid available to households, subject to all relevant eligibility criteria being met, are as follows:

- Grants for treatment systems where the system has failed an inspection by a local authority under the Environmental Protection Agency's National Inspection Plan.

- Grants for treatment systems in Prioritised Areas for Action as outlined in the River Basin Management Plan 2018-2021.

- Grants for treatment systems in High Status Objective Catchment Areas as outlined in the River Basin Management Plan 2018-2021.

The maximum grant payable in each case is 85% of approved costs, up to a maximum of €5,000.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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561. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department or the agencies within his aegis provide grant aid for the repair of septic tanks in cases in which an immediate environmental risk is evident; if a cost-benefit analysis has been undertaken in terms of environmental clean-up costs versus increasing the provision of grant aid to boost the number of repairs to septic tanks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1959/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Water Services Acts 2007 and 2012 (Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems) Regulations 2012, the owner of a domestic waste water treatment system is responsible for its maintenance and renewal and shall ensure that its parts and components are fit for purpose, operational where appropriate and kept in good order and repair so as to prevent a risk to human health or the environment.

My Department provides financial assistance towards the remediation, repair or upgrading works to, or the replacement of a domestic waste water treatment system under new and revised grant schemes which launched in June 2020. The schemes are focused on areas of greatest environmental priority rather than general in application. This is in line with Government Policy which is framed in the context of meeting relevant obligations under legislation.

The grant schemes are administered by the local authorities on behalf of my Department and details of the Terms and Conditions for each scheme can be found on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/6cc1e-domestic-waste-water-treatment-systems-septic-tanks/?referrer=http://www.housing.gov.ie/water/water-quality/domestic-waste-water-systemsseptic-tanks/domestic-waste-water-treatment-1 

During the grant development process, my Department engaged with key stakeholders through the Rural Water Working Group in determining the necessary costings, estimates and terms and conditions required for the new and revised grant schemes and therefore a specific cost benefit analysis was not commissioned.

As part of its work, the Working Group proposed a suite of recommendations to the Minister, which were subsequently approved. The revisions expanded the financial support available towards qualifying works on domestic waste water treatment systems in response to the significant and evolving environmental pressures coming from such systems.

The organisations that are represented on the Working Group are: the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; the Department of Rural and Community Development; the Environmental Protection Agency; the Health Service Executive; the National Federation of Group Water Schemes; and the County and City Management Association.