New grants to upgrade, replace or repair septic tanks to the tune of €12,000 will help to ease the financial burden on households, Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) farm family and social affairs committee chair Teresa Roche has said.

“These changes will mean that more households will qualify for this grant and will be provided with support to upgrade or replace their septic tanks.

“Many homes struggle with the cost of upgrading or replacing older septic tanks. The cost can be significantly high and this increase in grant funding is most welcome, which will help ease financial burden on households,” she added.

Roche added that it will also help to reduce the risk of environmental impact from defective tanks.

No qualifying condition

From 1 January 2024, the grant available to repair, upgrade or replace septic tanks is to increase to a maximum of €12,000, up from the €5,000 currently available.

It was also announced that the qualifying condition that the septic tank must be registered with the local authority prior to 1 February 2013 will be scrapped.

Announcing the move two weeks ago, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said the changes to the grant are very important, particularly to those in rural Ireland.

“I’ve listened to the feedback from many stakeholders advocating for these changes and I believe they will encourage more households to avail of the grant and consequently help reduce the risk of environmental impact from defective tanks,” he said.