Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I will speak about the amended scheme for remediation of defective blocks. Reliance is upon the standard IS 465 of 2018 which is unfit for purpose. It assesses superficial damage, not structural stability, and needs revision based on the best scientific evidence available on pyrrhotite sulfate attack. Engineers have downgraded recommendations for the full demolition of properties to partial demolition or remediation. We have heard from experts who say that partial demolition is a long-term disaster. We have seen one home of a pair of semi-detached houses demolished as defective while the other was left standing, despite displaying defects. We have seen houses partially demolished and reconstructed around walls which have not yet displayed signs of damage, and foundations are not included in the scheme. Science shows that deterioration can spread from defective blocks to seemingly healthy blocks, which have been left behind in walls or foundations and could be concealing a dark secret.

Individuals, families and whole communities are experiencing significant distress, including high incidence of mental health issues among those affected. This was raised clearly by Deputy Charles Ward in his motion yesterday. According to a study done by Ulster University, 30% of affected homeowners have suicidal tendencies and 40% have severe depression. The importance of having a safe secure home cannot be overemphasised. I urge everyone to go to Donegal to see the absolutely devastating consequences. It is heartbreaking to see. People are sitting in their homes which are crumbling around them. Deputy Ward knows about this first hand.

None of this is the fault of the affected homeowners. They bought or built their houses having faith in the system of regulations that are supposed to protect people, but the system failed. The danger is that it may continue to fail if this scheme is not addressed properly. Producers say these blocks meet the standard, but how can we have faith in those who are certifying them? Often quarries are certifying their own blocks. What steps is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage taking to ensure quarries are adequately audited and that Government inspectors, not quarry owners or employees, seek material for inspection?

The pyrite remediation scheme applied in Leinster provided the perfect model on which to build communities. It was an end-to-end scheme delivered by the Housing Agency, which procured contractors, managed the work and paid the bills directly, with no upfront costs for homeowners. As has been seen in Donegal, at the moment it can cost between €700 and €1,000 to get an initial building assessment and several thousand euro to have inspections and tests carried out and reports written. These costs, along with the cost of a rebuild, are refunded if the work is approved, but homeowners have to come up with the cash first and the banks are not giving out loans because they know the houses are crumbling. This disaster has been described as being like a slow-moving earthquake and the response should be like a response to an earthquake. The crisis needs to be addressed as a whole and not as a series of individual misfortunes. Between 20,000 and 30,000 homes have been negatively affected by defective concrete blocks in the north west.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I urge him, the Minister and other Ministers of State in the Department to instruct their officials to carry out a full assessment of the challenges faced in Donegal and to empower the Housing Agency to provide an optimal end-to-end State-managed remediation model, like we saw in Leinster for pyrite, to relieve families of the financial and administrative burden of remediating their homes.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Cosgrove for bringing this up. She is a fellow west Cork person. People are proud of her in west Cork. It is an honour to take this Commencement matter as we fly the flag for west Cork in the Houses of the Oireachtas.

I sincerely thank her for raising this. I know she has been to visit those affected and has seen how the houses are crumbling and the psychological impact of what is happening, so she is coming from a well-educated place in terms of what she thinks needs to happen.

As the Senator is aware, the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, which contains the current grant scheme, commenced on 22 June 2023, and the related regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023.The Senator referenced the pyrite remediation scheme and I can confirm this approach was considered in the development of the defective concrete blocks, DCB, grant scheme. However, it is not comparing like with like. The scale of the schemes is different and the homogenous nature of the damage caused to properties in the pyrite remediation scheme, relative to those in the DCB scheme, lends itself to the approach taken. It should be noted an implementation steering group for the current DCB grant scheme has been in place since 2023. The group comprises officials from the relevant local authorities, the Department, the Housing Agency and the homeowner liaison officer and provides a useful forum for discussion and feedback on operational and emerging matters related to the scheme and draws attention to issues faced by applicants.

Under the Act, homeowners may submit an appeal to an independent appeals panel if they are not satisfied with their determined remediation option. I understand the appeals panel is issuing determinations to appellants and is expected to accelerate its work in the coming weeks. In October 2024 an increase to the scheme was provided, bringing the scheme cap to €462,000, and an increase in the scheme rates of between 7.4% and 8.7% was approved on 7 November 2024. 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, known as options 2 to 5, 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 once the full review of the national standard is complete. I understand the NSAI is progressing with its review of the IS 465 and will publish an update on its website when available. Furthermore, under section 51 of the Act, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is required to commence a review of the operation of the Act within three months of the completion of any review of IS 465 by the NSAI. A report to each House of the Oireachtas on the findings and conclusions resulting from that review is required not later than three months after the completion of the review.

I see that last part as the opportunity, perhaps, to examine how the scheme is working, whether it is having the impact it should and whether it is addressing the issues it should be. Once the NSAI publishes its report the Minister will be compelled to provide a further report within three months of that report. That may be the opportunity to address some of the issues the Senator is talking about. The Minister has said repeatedly there is a commitment to keep the scheme under review. I see that as an opportunity to amend where necessary.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for displaying a real interest in this. The non-demolition option is not working because, as I said earlier, if there is a defective block the deterioration can go into healthy blocks without people knowing. As such, demolition is the only option and this is what people want. Deputy Charles Ward got elected based on this, as did county councillors, because people feel they are not being listened to. I appreciate there is going to be a review. We have a model that works and that is what the homeowners want to see in Donegal. It is not just affecting homes but also early years centres and community centres. Whole communities are affected by this. It is a crisis and that needs to be homed in on. Deputy Mac Lochlainn said there were three levels to this. Mica, on this level, is like a cancer. Pyrite, which happened on the east coast, is next and then pyrrhotite is the one that is at the very end, which is happening in Donegal. I do not think anyone realises the full extent of the crisis that is there. I thank the Minister of State for his time. We will look into this review and how to use it.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator again. Her raising and highlighting the matter broadens awareness of the impacts it is having. We were chatting earlier and talking about the technical element in that if you are only partially rebuilding there is a risk of the pyrite seeping into the new blocks, which would have an impact. That is why we have to keep the scheme under review, which is exactly what we are saying in the answer here. The scheme will be kept under review to improve it. The Government approved priority drafting of legislation which will provide for the increases in the grant scheme, cap and rates, which were announced last year and have applied to all new applicants since that time, to be extended to a wider group of homeowners who incurred eligible costs under the grant scheme since 29 March 2024. In addition, the Minister plans to make a number of other amendments to the legislation so the scheme can continue to be applied in as efficient and equitable a manner as possible for all homeowners. This legislation is being progressed as expeditiously as possible and the Bill is included in the autumn 2025 Government legislation programme for priority publication, so there is new legislation coming for this session and we hope it will progress. I see that as an opportunity to address some of the issues the Senator was talking about, as well as the NSAI report, which is due to be published very shortly.