Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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277. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on the immediate testing of foundations of homes (details supplied) in County Donegal to provide reassurance and certainty to affected homeowners that the remediation work is being carried out on fit-for-purpose foundations and that public funds are not at the risk of being wasted should the foundations degrade, post-remediation. [59181/22]

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 www.gov.ie/en/press-release/328d7-minister-obrien-welcomes-progress-on-enhanced-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme/.

The decision made by Government last November called for a number of reviews to be completed. This included a review of the I.S. 465:2018 standard and the consideration of other potentially deleterious material e.g. pyrrhotite and the impact, if any, on foundations. I have asked NSAI to review I.S. 465 and carry out all necessary research as a matter of priority. NSAI is an autonomous body under the aegis of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and, as such, detail on its programme of work and delivery is a matter for the NSAI and its parent Department.

An interagency Defective Concrete Blocks – Technical Matters Steering Group has been established to support and inform the NSAI Standardisation Program in relation to technical issues. The steering group includes representatives from NSAI, Geological Survey Ireland (GSI), Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, the Housing Agency (observer), and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The Steering Group has agreed a process to specify, procure, fund and manage research projects, subject to budget constraints, and research proposals have been developed by the relevant NSAI Technical Committees, including pyrrhotite oxidation in concrete blocks, potential impact of deleterious materials on foundations etc.

GSI have established a Framework for the Provision of Laboratory Analysis Services in support of Geological Survey Ireland’s “Irish Construction Materials” Project: Concrete Products. GSI will project manage research projects under the framework. In this regard, research to investigate pyrrhotite oxidation in concrete blocks has already commenced and will run until Q4 2023 and I anticipate that research on the potential impact of deleterious materials on foundations will commence shortly.

Foundations can be left in situ and built upon and this is the approach recommended. The issue of foundations is under review by the National Standards Authority of Ireland and should the current position change provision will be made to provide for foundations within the Enhanced Grant Scheme.

Once the necessary review has been concluded and any revised standard published I can confirm that the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme will be reviewed at that point having regard to any amended standard.

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