Fianna Fáil TD for Louth Erin McGreehan has called for the expansion of the septic tank grant scheme so that every household with a defective system can access support regardless of where they live.
The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides grants to homeowners to help cover the cost of repairing, upgrading or replacing failing Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems, also known as septic tanks.
However, eligibility for the scheme is currently determined by strict criteria, meaning many households with defective systems cannot access financial support because of where they live.
Speaking in the Dáil, Deputy McGreehan urged the Taoiseach to widen the scheme so it supports homeowners before problems lead to environmental damage.
Deputy McGreehan said:
“If we do not take that step, we are asking people to protect water quality without giving them the means to do so.
“There are close to 500,000 septic tanks in use across the State. The recent increase in the grant to €12,000 is welcome but the scheme remains far too narrowly focused. Most people still fall outside the eligibility criteria.
“In practice, households can only access support if they fail an inspection or fall within specific priority areas.
“If we are really serious about protecting water quality, we cannot rely on this reactive scheme. We need to be proactive. We need to take a preventative approach that supports homeowners before pollution occurs.”
Responding to Deputy McGreehan’s call, the Taoiseach acknowledged the limitations of the current scheme and said he would examine whether the eligibility criteria could be broadened.
The Taoiseach said:
“The EPA recently released a report on domestic wastewater treatment system inspections in 2025. It is interesting that 1,400 septic tank inspections were carried out and 59% failed inspection, with many posing a risk to nearby rivers and drinking water. Since 2013, 7,000 septic tanks have failed inspections, with 84% fixed by the end of 2025.
“There is Government grant support, as the Deputy said. I will speak to the Minister. The Deputy is saying to broaden it out and have a more proactive approach. That is a very good idea and I will see if we can activate that as opposed to a reactive one.”
For further information, reach out to Erin McGreehan.
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