Written answers

Tuesday, 5 April 2022

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Defective Building Materials

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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333. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when he expects to publish the general scheme of the legislation for the enhanced defective block remediation scheme for counties Donegal and Mayo; and if other counties including County Clare will be included in this scheme. [17729/22]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I brought a Memorandum to Government on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme on the 30 November 2021. It included an unprecedented suite of improvements to the current scheme. Government approved the enhanced scheme which it is estimated will cost approximately €2.2 billion.

I aim to bring the required primary legislation to give effect to the enhanced scheme before the Oireachtas as soon as possible with Spring 2022 being the indicative target timeline.

In the interim three enhancements from the new scheme have been brought into effect through amendments to the existing scheme regulations. On the 24 February 2022 I signed the Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 which amend the Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020, so as;

1) to make provision, in the case of an application for confirmation of eligibility received before thedate of the coming into operation of these regulations, for the recoupment of the fees connected with the provision of the engineer’s report without the need for a prior stage 1 confirmation of eligibility

2) to make provision for the inclusion as an allowable cost ‘essential immediate repair works’, up to a value of €5,555, which are identified by a competent engineer in a ‘building condition assessment report’ and relate to the structural stability of any part of a home affected by defective concrete blocks

3) to make provision for an increase from 75% to 85% in the value of stage payments which can be recouped to an approved applicant prior to the final grant payment

There has been ongoing engagement between Clare County Council and my Department in respect of the Defective Concrete Block Grant scheme. I understand that Clare County Council are now finalising the I.S. 465 reports in respect of a number of properties and will submit details to my Department as soon as possible for further consideration. I may, with Government approval, extend the scheme beyond the counties of Donegal and Mayo to additional counties, where the evidence supports such an extension.

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