John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline the eligible areas under the domestic wastewater treatment systems grant scheme; if he has any plans to extend those areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38019/25]

John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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92. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline the number of domestic wastewater treatment systems grants approved by county for the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38020/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 92 together.

The responsibility for the proper operation and maintenance of Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems (DWWTS), including septic tanks, lies with the individual property owner.

Owners must ensure that their systems are functioning effectively and do not pose a risk to human health or the environment. Regular maintenance, desludging, and repairs, where necessary, are part of the owner’s obligations.

The policy of providing grant funding for remedial work to septic tanks, arises from the need to address damage being done to water quality in sensitive areas in particular. The grants are focused on the areas of greatest environmental priority to protect human health and the environment, and are not general in application.

The table below sets out the number of grants paid by my Department to each local authority from 2020 to date.

Householders can avail of the grants if their DWWTS has failed an inspection under the National Inspection Plan and an Advisory Notice has been issued, or if located in designated areas where septic tanks are identified as a potential threat to water quality or human health and require remediation.

Substantial improvements to the terms and conditions of the grants available have been made and the objective of the changes is to encourage more householders to seek and avail of the grants and consequently help reduce the risk of the impact of defective systems.

I have no plans to make further changes at present.