Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Ward very much. I will try to be as succinct in my answers as his questions were. His first was whether or not the Government would use the Public Service Management Act. The answer to the question is "No". The Government will not use it because the defective concrete block grant scheme operates under its own primary legislation and in November 2024, following the receipt of preliminary results from scientific research in Donegal, the Department announced changes to the way the scheme works for certain homeowners. All homeowners who have been given a non-demolition option have been offered a choice of continuing with the work on their dwelling under the option determined or the option of a full technical review of their application by the Housing Agency. This review will be informed by the current research once the full review of the national standard is complete.

The Deputy's second question was on whether the Government would use its ministerial authority to direct the Housing Agency to reinstate original engineering recommendations. In response to that I would say an appeals panel has been established to assess appeals made under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act. The panel offers those affected by decisions made by the Housing Agency and local authorities an opportunity to have their cases assessed by an independent group of industry experts. The points of appeal that are available to an applicant include the validation stage by the local authority, the damage threshold determination made by the Housing Agency, the remediation option and the grant amount approved and where a local authority refused to make a grant payment pursuant to a grant approval. It should be noted the appeals panel is statutorily independent in the performance of its functions.

It is independent of the Minister, the Department and, indeed, the Housing Agency.

The Deputy's final question was on whether families who were early movers in the scheme were told they would not be disadvantaged. He wants to know if the Government will pass the legislation to ensure that all homeowners receive the uplift in respect of rates and the cap retrospectively. The decision by the Government in 2021 was to the effect that applicants under the previous grant scheme would not be disadvantaged from being early movers and would benefit from the increased grant amounts that were available under the current scheme upon its commencement in 2023. This was allowed for in the 2022 Act under transitional provisions, and these early movers have benefited from the increased scheme cap and grant rates provided for.

I welcome the Deputy's direct and surgically focused questions. I just wanted to give him those answers as best I could in respect of the matter. I am conscious that he referred to legislation. I am instructed that legislation will be introduced as a priority in the forthcoming term. That is something the Government will give priority to.

See this speech in context