Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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189. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will amend the legislation or regulations that limit the reconstruction of homes with defective blocks to the same footprint as the original house, in order that some homeowners have the option of building on their adjacent land holding and remaining in the existing home while their new home is being constructed; and if he appreciates that families with a person with a disability will struggle to find suitable temporary alternative accommodation and that this may be a workable option in some instances. [54060/22]

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 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/.

Work on drafting the necessary Regulations to facilitate the commencement of the Act is ongoing and the Regulations will provide for all matters within the Act which are to be prescribed including but not limited to the grant rates, damage threshold, and the form and content of various reports, certificates, forms, and declarations.

The Enhanced Grant Scheme will facilitate the remediation of existing houses that have been damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks, but not the construction of separate additional houses on adjoining sites. The construction of new separate additional houses is not grant funded and would be subject to the normal requirements of the planning system.

Under the Enhanced Grant Scheme, alternative vouched accommodation costs are an allowable cost, subject to a maximum of €15,000 in the event that the applicant has to move out when remediation works are ongoing. Removal of contents/house components and their temporary storage and reinstatement on completion are also an allowable cost, subject to a maximum of €5,000.

Donegal County Council has also engaged with my Department to seek approval for two facilitator posts in Donegal to support homeowners through the defective concrete block grant scheme application process. The role of the facilitators will include guiding the homeowners through the application process, and facilitating the homeowner to access all other relevant support services, including options for alternative accommodation/ storage. A letter of approval supporting the posts of facilitators to assist homeowners through the enhanced grant scheme process issued from my Department to the Council last week.

My Department recently published a comprehensive and updated “Your Questions Answered”document on the Department’s website to ensure homeowners have the most up to date information available to them. It can be accessed at www.gov.ie/en/publication/775c0-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme-your-questions-answered/