Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent)
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126. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the plan/scheme that is in place for social housing tenants who are still living in pyrite affected homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24296/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that 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 Act also provides for the Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Social Homes Scheme. This is a scheme for the purpose of enabling a designated local authority or an Approved Housing Body (AHB) with dwellings located in a designated local authority area to remedy damage caused to dwellings, owned by the local authority/AHB, by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction.

Section 36 of the Act provides that social homes will receive the same remediation options as those covered under the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme for private housing, and the same grant cap, grant rates and damage threshold requirements, along with access to ancillary grants.

A draft Scheme has been prepared by my Department. In terms of content, it is based on the current Enhanced Scheme with appropriate amendments where necessary to reflect the slightly different nature of social housing. The fundamental terms and conditions regarding eligibility and grant rates are the same as the private scheme. This is in keeping with the provisions of the Act.

The draft DCB Social Homes Scheme constitutes the framework for the application of the provisions contained in the Act. It is informed by feedback my Department has received from The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) regarding AHB units where there are concerns about the impact of defective concrete blocks. My Department has also had extensive engagement with the four designated counties under the Act - Donegal, Mayo, Limerick and Clare - regarding their affected housing stock.

I expect to be in a position to finalise the Scheme shortly.