Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The current scheme was agreed in collaboration with local action groups, local authorities and homeowner representatives. The decision to go with a grant scheme as opposed to the type of scheme provided under the Pyrite Resolution Board was done with the intention to give homeowners the flexibility to manage their own projects and to allow them to deal directly with their appointed contractor.

The defective concrete blocks scheme is intended to put homeowners in the position they would have been in regard to their home had it not been for the defective concrete blocks. It was not the intention of the scheme that it would fully cover the cost of a new-build home to 2021 building standards, with all new house components funded by the Exchequer. Grant schemes generally seek a recipient contribution so as to control costs, incentivise the use of appropriate remediation options and promote the reuse of materials where that is feasible. We accept that we need a significantly enhanced scheme. That is being developed at the moment and I cannot make any definitive commitments on that at present. That will be a matter for Government to decide before the end of the month, but I know the Minister is committed to working with the homeowners to find a resolution to this problem. I accept that this resolution is long overdue.

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