Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act), which contains the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme commenced on 22 June 2023 and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023.

The Enhanced Grant Scheme provided for the extension of the scheme to include dwellings damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks in its construction, in the administrative areas of Clare County Council and Limerick City and County Council.

As a new entrant to the enhanced scheme, as opposed to applicants from the previous scheme that transitioned to the enhanced scheme, the 2022 Act requires that a homeowner submit a ‘Building Condition Assessment’ Report (BCA) report as prescribed in the 2023 Regulations.

If it is determined that there is damage to the dwelling caused by the use of defective concrete blocks in its construction homeowners can recoup the cost of their BCA report, in this case €550 at payment of remediation grant stage. However engineering fees such as those referenced, i.e. incurred prior to the inclusion or designation of the local authority into the Enhanced Scheme, are not recoupable. Such recoupment is only available under the transitional provision of the Act that applies to dwellings located in Donegal and Mayo where applications had been made under the previous scheme.