Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018
1547. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to abolish the means test for the private wastewater upgrade grant and increase the grant to 100% in view of the fact that domestic wastewater charges have been abolished on public schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15571/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra1548. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to make all registered owners of domestic wastewater systems eligible for the private wastewater upgrade grant rather than only those who registered before 1 February 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15572/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra1549. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to extend the private wastewater scheme to those who are registered and have a malfunctioning system to allow them to apply to the local authority for an inspection and to make them eligible for the grant in the event that they have to carry out works on their system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15573/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1547 to 1549, inclusive, together.
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 authority 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. Where a local authority pays a grant under the scheme, my Department will recoup to the local authority 100% of the amount paid.
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:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/water/water-quality/domestic-waste-water-systemsseptic-tanks/domestic-waste-water-treatment-0.
The grants scheme 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 inspection scheme. My Department is revising this scheme to better support the programme of measures in the finalised River Basin Management Plan 2018 - 2021 published today. The scheme is being extended in order to provide particular support to high status waters and areas identified for priority action in the River Basin Management Plan.
I have recently approved the establishment of a Working Group to conduct a review of the wider investment needs relating to rural water services. The review will focus on the actions required to improve and sustain rural water services and will consider issues such as governance, supervision and monitoring of the sector, in addition to capital investment priorities and requirements across all elements of rural water services, including domestic waste water treatment systems. The establishment of the Working Group is being undertaken in response to the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services.
In its April 2017 Report the Committee recommended that, “the principles of equity of treatment and equivalent financial support should be applied equally between households on public water supplies and those availing of private water services”, and that my Department should conduct a review in consultation with relevant stakeholders “to quantify what additional investment will be required to equalise treatment between those availing of domestic water services and those availing of private services.” The review will consider how best to position and resource water services in rural areas so that they can contribute further to the development and long-term sustainability of a comprehensive and cohesive Rural Water Sector that will have the capacity to produce quality outcomes comparable to those available to customers of public water services.
The Terms of Reference of the review provide that there will be a two-strand approach to the considerations of the Working Group. Strand 1 will consider the composition and distribution of funding for the Multi-annual Rural Water Programme from 2019 up to 2021, while Strand 2 will consider the more complex longer-focus issues surrounding the long-term future resourcing of the Rural Water Sector. It is intended that by the end of July 2018, the Working Group will produce a summary report on Strand 1 of its deliberations which will outline the rationale for funding priorities for the next cycle of the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme up to 2021. At that time the Working Group will also set out time frames for its consideration of and reporting on the more complex longer-focus (Strand 2) matters.
The organisations that are participating on the Working Group reflect the importance and wide ranging impact of the Rural Water Sector. In addition to my Department, the Working Group is to comprise the following other Departments and bodies: 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. It is expected that the Working Group will consult with other relevant stakeholders in respect of specific topics under consideration.
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 Commissioners' website at www.revenue.ie.
