Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I commencement the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023.

The enhanced scheme provided for the extension of the scheme to include dwellings impacted in the administrative area of Clare County Council and my Department has been actively working together with Clare County Council and the Housing Agency on its implementation. Representatives from the Council participate in the Implementation Steering Group I established to monitor the operation of the Scheme.

The Housing Agency act as agents on behalf of the local authorities under the scheme and have confirmed to my Department that twenty five applications submitted to Clare County Council across Q3 and Q4 of 2023 were inspected by the Housing Agency. The Housing Agency informed Clare County Council that all twenty five applications met the damage threshold and were therefore approved for entry into the scheme. The Housing Agency estimate appropriate remediation option and grant amount determinations will issue to Clare County Council on all twenty five applications across Q1 and Q2 of 2024.

A further 15 applications were referred to the Housing Agency by the council in January and February 2024 and of these 12 determinations of damage threshold were determined by the Housing Agency and issued to the council.

The grant scheme is demand led and I am satisfied that it is being administered in line with the Act as set down by the Oireachtas.