Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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164. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when his Department will provide clarity to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and affected defective concrete block homeowners on the level of SEAI grant funding and the criteria for accessing that funding that will be available in conjunction with the defective concrete block grant scheme and the forthcoming enhanced scheme to ensure an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly home, in line with modern building regulations. [9409/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Following the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 to significantly enhance the 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, 2022. The Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on the 23 July, 2022. The Act provides “for the payment of grants for the remediation of certain dwellings damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction”.

The FAQ on the Enhanced Grant scheme published in October 2022 states that “Work is underway with SEAI to ensure as seamless as possible entry for DCB homeowners to existing SEAI grant schemes.”

In this regard, officials from my Department have been working with the SEAI, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Agency and relevant local authorities to share understanding on the evolving DCB scheme and SEAI schemes and to explore how DCB Scheme homeowners could also receive the SEAI supports they are entitled to in a seamless manner.

Work is ongoing between these bodies to ensure that appropriate SEAI grants can be optimally blended with the DCB scheme in a manner which ensures affected homeowners have a positive customer journey and the appropriate governance and control procedures are in place. It is anticipated that proposals resulting from this process will be submitted to Government shortly.