Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy has summed it up eloquently and I thank him for his acknowledgement of the work the Minister and his officials. I assure him that they have worked tirelessly to try to find an equitable solution through the defective blocks grant scheme, which was benchmarked against the previous scheme regarding allowable costs in qualifying works and homeowner contributions. It takes on board the homeowner demands and needs relating to the cost of removal and refitting, retrospective payments, etc.

Considerable work has been done since the working group was established. I pay tribute to the mica campaigners for their work. They have been patient but they have campaigned well to try to ensure an equitable solution is found to this. It is expected that significant changes will be made to the scheme. Progress has been made to date through the working group.

It is also expected that improvements to the scheme will involve a commitment in excess of the current estimated cost of €1.4 billion. By comparison with international models, we have one of the most comprehensive packages in the world for homeowners in similar situations. The Government is committed to working with homeowners to find resolutions to the issues under review. It is the intention of the Minister to bring the matter to Cabinet imminently in order to provide clarity and certainty for homeowners on what has been agreed and the timelines for implementation to allow them to move on with their lives.

I take on board the points the Deputy made about dedicated staff within the Department, the local mechanisms for delivery and earning the trust of the homeowners at the centre of this scheme. That is what we are trying to achieve. I know other issues have been raised in the Dáil about modular builds and affordability; those are for another day. I reassure the Deputy that the Department and the Minister have done phenomenal work on this issue. I again thank the Deputy for consistently raising this matter in the Dáil.

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