Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

54. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will consider under force majeure that grant aid would be payable for the better of all and the environment for persons who were out of the country or who did not have their septic tanks registered and who have been inspected by the authorities who have found that the septic tank does not reach the required standard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59851/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Water Services Act 2007, as amended, required all owners of premises served by an individual domestic waste water treatment system to have the system entered into a register maintained by local authorities. The prescribed date of 1 February 2013 was appointed by the Water Services Act 2007 and 2012 Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (Registration) Regulations 2012, as amended. New houses with domestic treatment systems continue to be required to register.

The strict cut-off date, together with sanctions for non-compliance, was successful in ensuring that an estimated 95% of systems were registered. Amending this provision to allow for retrospective registration would require amendments to primary legislation. It was not possible to do so as part of the introduction of the revised grant schemes which were effected by regulations.

When publishing the Domestic Waste Water Treatment grants in 2020, my Department committed to undertake a review of these grant schemes, to ensure their continued alignment with policy objectives, including consideration of issues such as the prescribed date. This review is currently ongoing and is expected to be completed in the coming months.