Ms Sarah Neary:

With regard to non-pyrite defects, generally, defects are a matter for the contracting authorities and as much effort as possible should be made with them to work things out. In some cases, insurance is in place and that covers a certain amount of defects. The situation is fundamentally different when we go from pre-2014 to post-2014. I will address the pre-2014 situation first. A significant problem arose in Donegal and Mayo in respect of defective concrete block work. A report on that was done in 2016. Following that, the Government made a decision to create a grant scheme for both local authorities to administer for private housing affected by defective concrete blocks. Deputy Hourigan mentioned the Safe as Houses? report from 2017, which outlines an approach to general defects as well, in addition to the two about which we have spoken. The programme for Government contains a commitment to examine defective housing in a broader sense. Work on that has progressed. We are working on terms of reference and establishing a working group to examine that.