Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I understand the Question refers to housing estates with Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure (DPI).

My Department provides funding to progressively address DPI issues under the Multi-Annual Developer Provided Water Services Infrastructure Resolution Programme which is focused on housing estates which do not have their water services connected to the public network but instead rely on communal waste water treatment infrastructure provided by developers of the estate.

The aim of the multi-annual programme is to provide funding to local authorities to assist them in implementing solutions that resolve these legacy DPI water services issues thus progressively enabling these estates to be taken in charge.

Funding of €68.5 million has been allocated, under the National Development Plan, for the period 2021-2025, for legacy water services issues (this sum includes a small allocation for domestic lead pipe remediation).

In June 2023, I announced allocations under the multi-annual programme of over €14.7 million to benefit over 850 households. This was in addition to allocations in September 2020 of over €3.36 million to benefit almost 950 households. The two tranches account for almost 25% of the total number of households depending on DPI for their water services.

It will take a number of funding programmes to fully resolve estates with DPI, however, my Department is fully committed to progressing the taking in charge of these estates through increased funding over the coming years.

Separately, I recently announced improved Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems grant schemes. In these instances, where households have individual treatment systems (mostly septic tanks), the new grant schemes will, subject to their terms and conditions, support the resolution of defective systems by connection to the Uisce Éireann system where that is more cost effective.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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251. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if households that have had their septic tank inspected and have failed, but have applied for the domestic waste water treatment systems grant to upgrade or replace their existing tanks, will be eligible for the recently announced improved grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49535/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides financial support through the domestic waste water treatment system (DWWTS) grant schemes to assist householders in carrying out works to repair, upgrade or replace defective septic tanks.

The changes I recently announced to these grants are to increase the maximum grant level available to €12,000 (up from €5,000) and remove a requirement for the historical registration of the DWWTS with the local authority in order to be eligible for a grant.

These changes will take effect from 1 January 2024 and I expect to publish the regulations and details of the terms and conditions in the coming weeks. Existing applicants may be eligible for the new grant schemes, provided that all eligibility criteria are met and can contact their local authority to confirm eligibility when the details of the new schemes are published.