The government has announced the launch of a campaign to create awareness of the improved grant available to remove lead pipes from homes.
Older housing stock built before the 1980s may contain lead pipes which in turn causes lead – which can be harmful to health – to enter drinking water. The Domestic Lead Remediation Grant Scheme provides funding for 100% of the approved cost of works to replace lead pipes, up to €5,000.
The grant is administered by local authorities and is not means tested. The removal of lead pipes is the most effective way to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water and the available grant has the aim of replacing lead pipes with healthier, modern alternatives in the interests of public health.
A Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage advertising campaign (across print, broadcast and digital media) will encourage affected home owners to avail of the scheme.
Housing minister Darragh O’Brien said: “Through this campaign we are encouraging people to consider replacing old lead pipes with the support of the funding. We are committed to removing remaining lead piping entirely from our drinking water supply and this campaign seeks to raise awareness of the government supports available for householders.
"The campaign follows from improvements to the grant that we made late last year meaning more households should now be able to avail of this grant.”
How to find out if your home contains lead pipes
People can find out if their homes contain lead pipes by checking the pipe running from the water main to your kitchen tap and looking for the point where the water supply pipe enters your house.
Unpainted lead pipes are dull grey in colour and the joints appear to be ‘swollen’. They are also soft and scraping the surface with a coin will reveal a shiny, silver metal beneath. A qualified plumber or a registered building professional can also check the type of pipework in your home.
The grant to remove lead pipes from the private site of your property complements Uisce Éireann’s (Irish Water) Customer Opt-In programme. This scheme replaces lead pipes on the public side of your property free of charge. To qualify you must have replaced your lead private supply pipe.
Lead is a metal used for pipework and plumbing in some houses built before the 1980s. It is a proven health risk and no amount in drinking water is safe for public health. The HSE has a useful information page on the health risks of lead.
What the Domestic Lead Remediation Grant Scheme is
The Domestic Lead Remediation Grant Scheme helps households with the costs of replacing lead piping or related fittings located within the internal distribution system connected to a domestic water supply that serves a house.
The scope of the grant and relevant definitions are as detailed in the Housing (Domestic Lead Remediation Grant) Regulations 2022 (S.I. No. 519 of 2022), which came into operation on December 1, 2022.
How to qualify
You may be eligible to apply for a grant to your local authority if you meet the criteria set out in the terms and conditions for the scheme.
In order to qualify for the grant, you must occupy the house concerned as your normal place of residence. If you are a long-term tenant of the property, you must have the permission of the owner to carry out the works.
For the purposes of this grant scheme, the property must be a domestic residence. Private holiday homes and properties operated on a commercial basis are excluded (for example: short-term holiday lettings, self-catering properties, caravans/mobile homes, caravan/mobile home sites). Properties owned by local authorities, housing associations and the Health Service Executive are not eligible.
In advance of applying for a grant, you must ensure that you have evidence of a requirement to replace lead pipes and related fittings to include with the application to your relevant local authority. This evidence must be in the form of a:
- Notification from a water supplier advising that there is likely to be lead pipes and related fittings within the internal distribution system of the house concerned, OR
- Certificate issued within the six months immediately prior to the date of application by a laboratory accredited by the Irish National Accreditation Board, confirming a parametric value for lead in the drinking water supply to the house concerned, which exceeds the statutory limit, currently 10μg/l (10 micrograms per litre), OR
- Notification from a registered building professional advising that there are lead pipes and related fittings located within the internal distribution system of the house concerned.
Apply
The scheme will continue to be administered by the local authorities on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The following procedure will apply to the processing of all grants under the Housing (Domestic Lead Remediation Grant) Regulations 2022:
- Claims for payment should be submitted to the local authority in whose functional area the house, the subject of the application, is located;
- Claims must be submitted on the DLRG 1a form. You can get this form from your local authority;
- If assistance with completing the form is required, please contact the relevant local authority;
- The relevant local authority will subsequently advise you in writing (or via email) if the application is eligible (subject to terms and conditions) or ineligible;
- Once all required documentation, as detailed in the terms and conditions, have been received and verified, the local authority will endeavour to process the claim as quickly as possible;
- The local authority reserves the right to make any enquiries it considers necessary, to verify information or supporting documents provided as part of a claim for grant aid, and may exclude from consideration for grant aid any applicant who supplies false or misleading information or documents.
Further information
Domestic Lead Remediation Grant Scheme page with information for individuals.
Circular, Statutory Instrument and other relevant material on the Domestic Lead Remediation Grant Scheme.
Information on the Uisce Éireann Lead Mitigation Plan, including information for customers can be found on the Uisce Éireann website including customer opt-in.