Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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291. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans for a public inquiry into the circumstances that led to the defective blocks and products issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46006/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Following on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022 on 21 June and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President.

The purpose of this Act is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the scheme as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021. Full details can be found at www.gov.ie/en/press-release/328d7-minister-obrien-welcomes-progress-on-enhanced-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme/.

My Department's focus has been on enacting the legislation to underpin the scheme. Work on drafting the necessary regulations has commenced and they will provide for all matters within the Act which I may prescribe eg. the grant rates, damage threshold, and the forms and content of various reports, certificates, form and declarations.

Government, in its decision of the 30 November, 2021, approved the appointment of a Senior Counsel to review the defective concrete blocks issue and make recommendations on the matter. I intend to finalise terms of reference for this review and appoint an experienced senior counsel as soon as possible.