Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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36. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will report on discussions he has had with those campaigning for full mica redress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54654/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I met with persons and representatives of persons, whose properties have been affected by the use of defective concrete blocks in County Donegal, on three occasions. The first was at the launch of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, which took place in Buncrana on 6 August 2020. The second meeting was held virtually on 4 February 2021. The third meeting was also held virtually on 20 May 2021.

In response to concerns being raised by homeowners in relation to the Defective Concrete Block grant scheme, I established a time-bound working group, with representatives from my Department, the local authorities and homeowner representative groups who were tasked with reviewing the operation of the scheme and providing a report with recommendations originally by 31st July, 2021.

I attended the first meeting of this group which took place virtually on the 30^thJune 2021 where issues such as the terms of reference of the group, presentations on both the DCB scheme and Pyrite Remediation Scheme, contributions from the homeowner representatives and various other items were discussed.

At the request of homeowners and in order to afford them more time to consider and respond to key issues under discussion, it was agreed at the meeting held on the 27th July that the timeline for the submission of a report by the Working Group would be extended to the end of September, 2021.

Both officials from my Department and the Housing agency continued to engage with homeowner representatives throughout the month of August and a further meeting of the working group took place on the 17^thof September, 2021.

I was also in attendance at the final meeting of the working group which took place on the 29^thof September at which the homeowners had an opportunity to present and discuss their “final position paper”.

I received the final report of the Working Group on Defective Concrete Blocks in early October and have been in consultations since the publication of this report with various stakeholders and Government colleagues. 

I intend in the near term to bring a memorandum to Government setting out proposals for improvements to the existing scheme, it’s future administration and various other matters raised in the report of the working group.