Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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208. To ask the Minister for Finance if he is aware that owners of homes with defective concrete blocks are, in the main, unable to have their homes remortgaged; how he proposes to address this with pillar banks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30936/23]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Government response on the defective concrete block issue is primarily led by my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Nevertheless, I recently met with the banking and insurance defective block redress group to discuss their real concerns on this issue, including in relation to mortgages and financing issues.

I understand the very difficult situation faced by homeowners whose houses are affected by defective concrete blocks, and the Government is determined to assist households in this situation. In relation to any request for new credit, while the decision on such applications is a commercial matter for individual lenders, I will engage with the banking sector with a view to addressing as far as possible the various banking related issues raised by the group.

I welcome the fact that Banking and Payments Federation Ireland also met the group and I understand that there will continue to be an engagement between the group, departments and the industry on these and other related matters.