Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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293. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the total expenditure from the €20 million allocation for pyrite remediation and the €60 million for defective block in Mayo and Galway to date in 2022; the estimated underspend from these two schemes at the end of 2022; and the amount of that underspend is included in the capital carryover into 2023’s vote. [48300/22]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Pyrite Resolution Act 2013 provides the statutory framework for the establishment of the Pyrite Resolution Board and for the making of a pyrite remediation scheme. The provisions of the Act apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material. The pyrite remediation scheme is a scheme of “last resort” for affected homeowners who have no other practical option to obtain redress and is limited in its application and scope. The full conditions for eligibility are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website: www.pyriteboard.ie.

As of end September, the Pyrite Remediation Board have drawn down €13m of the €20m allocation. No underspend is estimated for 2022.

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 on the 23 July, 2022.

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/

The table below sets out the expenditure relating to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme in 2022. There is a very considerable time lag between grant approval and the draw down of funding. Not all homeowners will start work immediately after receipt of approval. In addition, depending upon the remediation option being carried out, the works themselves can take anywhere between 2 and 15 months which can affect the value of funding drawn down in any particular year. Details of the full drawdown for 2022 will not be reconciled until early 2023.