Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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642. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to provide an update on the review of IS 465; and when he expects to bring forward legislation to amend the defective concrete block grant scheme. [17431/25]

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.

In November 2024 following the receipt of preliminary results from scientific research in Donegal my Department announced changes to the way the scheme works for certain homeowners. All homeowners who have been given a non-demolition option (options 2 to 5) will now be offered a choice of continuing with the work on their dwelling under the option determined or the option of a full technical review of their application by the Housing Agency. This review will be informed by the current research once the full review of the national standard (I.S. 465:2018) is complete.

As Ireland’s official Standards Body, The National Standards Authority Ireland (NSAI) has been tasked with the review of I.S. 465. On 31 March 2025 the NSAI commenced the public consultation period of the revised draft of I.S. 465. This milestone follows on from the Government Decision of November 2021 and funding by the state into the required research for the NSAI to undertake its work on revising the standard. Upon conclusion of the public consultation period the NSAI will finalise its review and publish the revised standard. I understand that this is likely to be in Q3 2025.

The Spring 2025 Government Legislation Programme has included the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill for priority drafting. Along with details of the wider group of relevant owners that can avail increases in the grant scheme cap and rates approved in October and November 2024 the Bill will also include a number of technical amendments including an amendment to allow the review of applications under the revised standard upon its publication.