Keira Keogh (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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948. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reasons a property would be deemed ineligible for the defective concrete blocks grant scheme in view of the fact that a report has confirmed that there is pyrite in the property (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12382/25]

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) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current grant scheme and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023.

The detailed operation of the Scheme is a matter for the designated local authorities with the Housing Agency acting as agents of the local authorities under the grant scheme. Applications received by a local authority are referred to the Housing Agency to review the 'Building Condition Assessment Report' and determine if the home has met the 'damage threshold' for entry to the scheme.

The 'damage threshold' is the minimum level of damage which must be present in a home in order for that dwelling to be allowed access into the grant scheme. The damage itself must be linked to the suspected presence of defective concrete blocks in the home and will be considered as part of the Building Condition Assessment process by a competent building professional. The purpose of having a damage threshold is to ensure that the worst affected homes are prioritised first.

Where the Housing Agency determine that a dwelling which has been put forward has not met the damage threshold that determination can be appealed to the independent appeals panel which has been established to assess appeals made under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the use of Defective Concrete (DCB) Blocks Grant Scheme. The Appeals Panel offers those affected by decisions made by the Housing Agency and Local Authorities an opportunity to have their cases assessed by an independent group of industry experts. The points of appeal that are available to a DCB applicant include the validation stage by the local authority, the damage threshold determination made by the Housing Agency, the remediation option, and the grant amount approved and where a local authority refuse to make a grant payment pursuant to grant approval. The Panel is statutorily independent of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and so are independent in the performance of their functions.

A homeowner can also reapply to the grant scheme at a future date if the suspected presence of defective concrete blocks manifests to a point where the damage threshold is met.