Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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601. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when he will bring forward an amendment to the Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, allowing the increase in the cap to be applied retrospectively to homeowners already participating in the defective concrete block grant scheme. [2780/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) was commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023.

A review mechanism is provided within the Act, which provides for an increase or decrease the overall grant scheme cap a year after the Act has been commenced by no more than 10%, in accordance with the conditions of Section 11 of the Act.

Following updated cost reports from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) and advice from the Expert Group established to consider the matter, a further increase was provided for on 23 October 2024 through S.I. 577 of 2024. The Scheme Cap has risen by 10% to €462,000. An increase in the scheme grant rates of between 7.4% and 8.7% that are set out in the 2023 Regulations was also approved on 7 November 2024. (S.I. No. 621 of 2024).

The Act provides that any increase in the scheme cap or grant rates will apply to eligible relevant owners that are yet to receive a determination in respect of remediation option and grant amount. My Department sought legal advice that confirmed that extending these increases to a wider group of relevant owners requires amending the Act. My Department is currently progressing this matter.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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602. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of homeowners who have availed of financial support from the State under the pyrite remediation scheme from the commencement of the scheme to date in 2025; the average amount granted to each of the homeowners under the scheme; and the average level of matching financial contribution by each of the homeowners who have been supported under the scheme, in tabular form. [2781/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The table below provides figures for the total number of homes remediated where owners have availed of financial support from the State under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme since its commencement in 2014 to 31 December 2024 - and the average cost per dwelling remediated in each year. The average cost figure includes all ancillary costs incurred and is not limited to core construction cost. As yet, there are no figures available for 2025.

The Scheme covers the cost of remediation. My Department has no data on payments by homeowners.