Written answers

Wednesday, 10 March 2021

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Defective Building Materials

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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383. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will carry out an urgent review of the financial assistance offered by the State under the defective concrete blocks grant scheme, based on the applications received to date by Donegal County Council, and address the serious concerns of affected families across the county. [12800/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 came in to operation on 31 January 2020 and the resulting Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme has been open for applications since the end of June 2020. The scheme was informed by the work of an Expert Panel and the current maximum grant amounts payable under the scheme were finalised in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This process also took account of the comprehensive engagement that took place between my Department and both Donegal and Mayo County Councils, who operate and administer the scheme.

As the application process only opened in June 2020 it would be premature to consider or make any changes to the scheme at this time. I am keeping progress on the scheme under review and engaging with both local authorities and local action groups on the matter.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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384. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he and the Minister for Finance will convene a forum meeting with the banks and financial institutions to request that they immediately play a partnership role with the State and affected families in the financial challenge of making homes safe across counties Donegal and Mayo under the defective concrete blocks grant scheme. [12801/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I met recently with members of the Donegal Mica Action Group and one of the issues raised was that of finance and the potential role which banks could play in assisting affected homeowners. As oversight of the financial institutions is outside the scope and remit of my Department, I undertook to and have written to the Minister for Finance, on the matter.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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385. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if financial allocations from his Department to Donegal County Council to enable it to make homes within its housing stock affected by MICA defective concrete blocks safe will be additional to the planned financial allocations to Donegal County Council to facilitate the construction and purchase of new public housing across the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12816/21]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966 provides that management and maintenance is a matter for each individual local authority. This includes maintenance programmes and carrying out responsive, planned and pre-letting repairs.

Notwithstanding this, my Department also provides financial support to local authorities under various targeted: social housing stock upgrade programmes; large-scale urban regeneration programmes; support for the return of vacant units to productive use; the Energy Retrofitting Programme; and, adaptations and extensions for people with disability in social housing.

My Department also provides separate capital funding in respect of the Social Housing Investment Programme, to all local authorities, including Donegal County Council, for the delivery of new social homes via their social housing construction programme, through turnkey arrangements and through acquisitions.

In respect of local authority housing stock in Donegal impacted by defective concrete blocks, further evaluation of the issue is being undertaken by Donegal County Council. The outcome of this evalutaion will be the subject of a submission by Donegal County Council to my Department. Once this is received my Department will, in consulation with Donegal County Council, consider the matter.

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