Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is currently, as a matter of priority, preparing legislation to put in place a statutory remediation scheme for owners of certain apartments affected by fire safety, water ingress and structural defects. This legislation will establish supports for the remediation of these defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. Given the complexity of the issues, sufficient time is required to ensure that the scheme is fit for purpose, provides value for tax payers' money and contains appropriate oversight and governance measures.

It is expected the draft legislation will be published in 2024 and that, subject to the legislative process, the statutory scheme will be in place shortly thereafter. Financial allocation to the scheme will be subject to the normal budgetary process. The Government has committed a significant amount of Exchequer funding to assist affected homeowners and I anticipate that a sufficient amount will be made available to cover appropriate and verified remediation costs under the statutory Scheme in each year of its operation.

Pending the introduction of the statutory scheme, an Interim Remediation Scheme (Scheme) for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes has been in place since December 2023. This Scheme, which is being administered by The Housing Agency on a nationwide basis, is open to applications from apartment Owner Management Companies (OMCs) via The Housing Agency’s website, and can be accessed at the following link: www.housingagency.ie/interim-remediation-scheme-fire-safety-defects-eligible-apartments-and-duplexes-2023.

In the period since the Scheme’s launch, up to and including 31 March 2024, 128 applications are being progressed across 26 local authority areas, representing a total of 13,150 residential units.