Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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103. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason the victims of the pyrite in concrete products scandal in the east of Ireland received 100% redress under the pyrite remediation scheme while the victims of the pyrite and pyrrhotite (internal sulphate attack) in concrete products scandal have been denied genuine 100% redress in the west of Ireland. [24440/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The DCB Scheme is neither a redress nor a compensation scheme, rather it is a grant scheme of last resort to enable affected homeowners remediate their homes. The approach taken under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme (PRS) was considered in the development of the DCB Grant Scheme. However, due to the different scale of both schemes and the flexibility sought by DCB homeowners, the DCB Grant scheme required a different approach.

The Pyrite Remediation Scheme relates to dwellings that have been significantly damaged as a result of pyritic heave caused by the swelling of hardcore under ground floor slabs. This scheme, which is also not a redress scheme, aims to repair certain homes affected by significant pyritic damage where the homeowners have no other practicable option.

In contrast, the DCB Grant Scheme relates to dwellings which are damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks.

There is only one remediation option under the Pyrite Scheme and the works are repetitive from home to home, which tend to be clustered.

Under the DCB scheme there are five potential remediation options with a bespoke solution potentially required for each affected home.

The Department keeps the DCB Scheme under continuous review through consistent and regular stakeholder engagement. This process has identified changes to the Scheme that will make it work better for homeowners. These changes will be made shortly in a DCB Amendment Bill and will include the retrospective application to a larger group of homeowners, of increases in the Scheme cap and per square metre grant rates that were made in October/November 2024.