Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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293. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if persons with homes in Fingal, County Dublin, which have defective pyrite or mica blocks will be able to apply for an enhanced defective block remediation scheme; if he will provide further details on the way that the application process will proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56663/22]

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 (DCB) 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 the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the grant scheme as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021. Full details can be found at gov.ie/en/press-release/328d7-minister-obrien-welcomes-progress-on-enhanced-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme/.

The Act has currently designated 4 local authorities for inclusion in the Enhanced DCB Scheme, namely Clare, Donegal, Limerick City and County and Mayo County Councils.

Section 5 of the Act contains details on the process for the inclusion of additional local authority areas into the Enhanced DCB Grant Scheme, which, it should be noted, may include a request by a local authority to the Housing Agency, and whereby the Housing Agency thereafter carries out testing of dwellings.

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.

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 gov.ie/en/publication/775c0-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme-your-questions-answered/

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 and not to damage arising in any other circumstance, e.g. such as pyrite in concrete blocks.

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. Dwellings must be located within the administrative areas of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, Kildare, Meath, Offaly, Limerick City and County Council, South Dublin County Council, Westmeath County Council or Dublin City Council.