Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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432. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he has engaged with the Minister for Finance on the requests from homeowners affected by defective blocks that the works they are carrying out to remediate their homes and related professional fees, under the enhanced defective block grant scheme, be exempt from VAT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39793/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The new scheme is now open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/service/8002e-enhanced-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme/.

As part of the implementation of the enhanced DCB scheme the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) produced a report on up to date construction costs for the type of remediation works carried out under the scheme. The SCSI Construction cost report includes VAT at 13.5% on building costs and 23% on professional fees.

The Expert Group on the enhanced DCB scheme operationalised rebuild cost figures as provided by the SCSI in grant rates recommended to me for inclusion in the scheme regulations. Thus, the Scheme as designed already takes account of VAT.