Homeowners and long-term renters with harmful lead plumbing can now get a grant for the total cost of having it replaced, up to €5,000.
There is no safe level of lead and even a short length of lead pipework or lead plumbing fittings in a home can impact the health of people drinking the water, according to the World Health Organisation and HSE.
Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency highlighted the continued threat lead pipes pose to human health in their 2021 Drinking Water Quality report published earlier this month.
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They urged the Government to take urgent action to tackle the risk at a national level amid fears it could take 25 years to address.
Housing Minister, Darragh O’Brien, said yesterday [TUES] he is doing away with the previous means-tested grant system, which only covered 50-80% of the total cost of having lead plumbing replaced through the Domestic Lead Remediation Grant Scheme.
The Minister said: “Removal of lead pipes from the drinking water system is an important public health objective for this Government and increasing access to the grant will contribute greatly to achieving this goal.
“I’m pleased these changes will widen the availability of this scheme to more homes.
“The enhanced funding will make the grant more accessible to householders to undertake these works.
A National Strategy to Reduce Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water, was first published in June 2015.
The Domestic Lead Remediation Grant was then introduced by the Department in 2016 but only homeowners could apply.
Tuesday’s announcement follows a review of that scheme to remove lead pipes within the boundaries of homes across the country. It comes into force on December 1 this year.
Long term rental properties are also included as a qualifying residence as long as the owner approves, while the minimum threshold for expenditure on eligible works to qualify for a grant has also been raised from €200 to €750.
Applicants can also claim up to €200 for a test certificate proving the building has lead pipes.
The grant to remove lead pipes from the private side of the property will complement Irish Water’s Customer Opt-In programme which helps remove lead pipe connections from the public side.
Local authorities will administer the scheme on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
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