Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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107. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide an update on the introduction of a Mica/Pyrite redress scheme for County Clare households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11801/23]

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 to be implemented by the Board with support from the Housing Agency.

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 full conditions for eligibility under the scheme are set out in the scheme which is available on the Board’s website, www.pyriteboard.ie.

Any proposal to amend the scheme is, in the first instance, a matter for the Pyrite Resolution Board and any such proposal would require detailed consideration of the evidence.

Separately, the purpose of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the 2022 Act) is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the Defective Concrete Block (DCB) grant scheme, as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021.The 2022 Act has currently designated 4 local authorities for inclusion in the enhanced scheme, namely Clare, Donegal, Limerick City and County and Mayo County Councils. The enhanced grant scheme will be commenced as soon as related Regulations are completed. The Regulations provide details for the enhanced scheme, not included in the 2022 Act, such as application forms and templates, per square metre grant rates and the definition of damage.

Draft Regulations have been prepared, which are the subject of consultation with key stakeholders, including with homeowners’ action groups. I have extended the consultation period on the draft Regulations by an additional two weeks, to 14 March 2023, following receipt of requests for time extensions from Donegal County Council and Mayo County Council. Grant rates, to be included in the final Regulations, will be based upon updated regional construction costs for 2023 provided by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland.