'A pure joke' the number of septic tank inspections carried out in Longford

A Longford County councillor has called on the Environment Minister Darragh O'Brien to make changes to the septic tank grant system so that it will be far more accessible.

Fine Gael's Paul Ross (pictured) submitted a motion at last week's meeting where he called on Longford County Council and the Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O’Brien to open up the Domestic Waste Water Treatment grant to all those whose septic tanks need upgrading who wish to apply for it.

The current scheme has three criteria which are a grant under the National Inspection Plan, a grant in Prioritised Areas for Action and a grant in High Status Objective Catchment Areas.

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Cllr Ross said Longford County Council has made a commitment to carry out 10 septic tank inspections this year, but he believes that is very low.

"It's a pure joke, out of a population of 46,000 in Longford.

"People are coming to us (councillors) looking for grants for septic tanks that they know are not in good condition, but they aren't actually grants at all because they are so hard to get.

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"They are looking for a grant to repair them and there is a perception that there is a grant to the public for septic tanks.

"But in actual fact you have to be inspected and fail an inspection before you qualify for the grant," Cllr Ross added.

A response from the Department of the Environment said the obligation on Longford County Council was only to inspect four septic tanks, however, they were going to inspect 10 septic tanks.

Longford County Council said it will write to the Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O'Brien outlining the motion of notice proposal.

The local authority said in a statement they had committed to ten septic tank inspections for 2025 under the National Inspection Plan (NIP), and well over the four , which was the minimum prescribed by the EPA.