Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update on the establishment of a redress scheme for homeowners and tenants living in buildings with fire safety and other building defects. [60043/22]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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This morning in the Irish Examiner, we have learned of yet another Celtic tiger era complex with fire safety defects. Phoenix Park Racecourse is the location of at least 550 fire-defective apartments. Last Thursday, “Prime Time” carried a special report regarding fire safety defects in Parkwest, as the Minister knows, which will cost homeowners €68,000 each to rectify. The Saturday preceding that, the Not Our Fault 100% Redress campaign group, which represents homeowners affected by Celtic tiger era defects, along with the Construction Defects Alliance and the Apartment Owners Network, held a conference at which families from Hunterswood in Tallaght raised their case. Can the Minister give us an update on when these struggling homeowners and tenants will get the redress they rightly deserve?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue. I fully acknowledge the difficulties that owners and residents of many apartments and duplexes are facing and the stress caused by these defects in their homes. We are committed, as a Government, to supporting such homeowners. That commitment was included in the programme for Government and, from that, as the Deputy will know, I established a working group to examine defects in housing in February 2021. It reported at the end of July, I published the report and I know the Deputy and the Oireachtas joint committee have that report. I brought the report to Government in September and I have established an interdepartmental and agency group with a view to bringing forward specific proposals to Government by the end of this year. In addition, an advisory group has been established to develop a code of practice, in particular in the area of the Fire Services Acts, to provide guidance to relevant professionals, including guidance on interim safety measures that we will need to take. This advisory group is due to have its inaugural meeting later this month.

As the work progresses, I am committed to continuing to liaise with key stakeholders, such as the Construction Defects Alliance, the Apartment Owners Network and other homeowner representatives, and the insurance sector, representatives of which I met with last week to discuss this issue. We are engaging with the Housing Agency for the provision of advice in regard to implementation of the recommendations of the report.

I confirm that the Government will provide support to homeowners who find themselves in this terrible situation, this very difficult financial situation, through no fault of their own. As I said, the options in this regard will be considered by the Government in advance of the recess in the coming weeks. We will need to bring in legislation also, and I will come back to the Deputy by way of a supplementary with further advice on that.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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At the Not Our Fault 100% Redress conference held in Tallaght a number of weeks ago, the question that all of the affected homeowners had was when these supports would be provided. They made it very clear they wanted, and I support their demand for, 100% redress because, as the Minister rightly said, they did not cause these defects. They made a very clear call for retrospective provision because there are homeowners who have to undertake fire safety works right now under instruction from the Dublin Fire Brigade, if not from their insurance providers. They also stressed the need for emergency measures now, particularly for those families living in unsafe apartments.

The Minister has been in government for two years. There is a programme for Government commitment and the report has been published. The concern many have is that even if a decision is taken by the Cabinet in December, it has taken more than a year to get the enhanced defective blocks scheme. These families cannot wait a year to a year and a half, so what reassurance can the Minister give them that a scheme will be speedily introduced early next year, notwithstanding the need for legislation, and when will a decision on emergency measures be taken?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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We are looking at interim measures because there are a number of apartment complexes and multi-unit developments that have very specific issues now. One of the reasons I met representatives of the insurance sector last week was to see what interim measures we can take. I am not going to delay on that. However, what I need to do, as the Deputy appreciates, is bring the recommendations to Cabinet, and that will be done before the recess. I intend at that stage to brief residents, and certainly to brief Opposition spokespeople, on that.

The Deputy used the phrase “notwithstanding the need for legislation”, but we do need legislation.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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Absolutely.

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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This scheme is going to be with us for a number of years, unfortunately. The work that is being carried out is very important. Some 28,000 different homes have participated in that survey so we now have the best handle on the scale and type of defects that exist.

We will not delay. I thank the residents who have continued to engage with us in a very constructive way. The Government will help these homeowners. I have stated that it is a nettle we need to grasp, and we will do so. We will be looking at retrospection as well, because I am acutely aware that approximately 14% of households have already remediated their homes. I will keep all Deputies present fully apprised of the position.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I fully accept the need for legislation, although I still believe that the Pyrite Resolution Board could be repurposed. It could start its work pending the enactment of the new legislation, and then be underpinned by that. I urge the Minster to consider that.

Yesterday was the first anniversary of the announcement of the enhanced defective block scheme. The regulations for that scheme are still not complete and the scheme is not yet open. It is highly likely that even if it opens in the first quarter of next year, families will not access funds from it until the middle or end of next year. There could be a two-year gap between announcement and drawdown. The families in these properties do not have time to wait that long. When will a decision be made on interim or emergency measures? I accept and welcome that the Minister is considering such measures, but when does he expect to make a decision? How early next year does he expect the wider remediation scheme to be up and running?

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I say the following to be helpful. The Deputy is of the view that we could use first the pyrite remediation scheme and the Act that underpins it. That would not be the way forward. From discussing the matter with residents and, in particular, the Construction Defects Alliance, I know that is not their view. We will need bespoke legislation. That does not mean we will not bring in interim measures to help, particularly in the context of fire safety. I am aware of the need in that regard.

I participated in the "Prime Time" programme. I watched it and saw the testimonies of residents. We will help them. Deputies across the House have been very constructive on this issue, which affects approximately 100,000 homes. I want to make those homes right and help people get their lives back on track. As regards when this will happen, I expect us to be able to give sight early next year of the type of interim measures I anticipate. I expect to bring a memorandum and recommendations to Cabinet on or about 13 December. As stated, I will keep all Deputies with an interest in this matter fully apprised of progress. We will be working on this matter as we move forward. We do not need the legislation to do everything, but we need it to underpin a robust scheme that will be with us for several years to come.