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Defective Building Materials

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2021

Wednesday, 31 March 2021

Questions (463)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

463. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total allocation of funding for 2021 to address mica block and pyrite in counties Donegal, Mayo and Limerick; the number of homes expected to be remediated from the funding in each county; if the funding will be used to address pyrite in other counties; and the way in which it is planned to fund the remediation of over 1,000 council properties affected by mica block in County Donegal. [16426/21]

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Written answers

Budget 2021 provides funding of €20 million to fund the operation of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme for the counties of Donegal and Mayo only. The number of homes which will be remediated in 2021 is dependent on a number of issues, for example, the break-down of applications and the time to progress through the approval stages. The works required can range from the lower intervention external wall replacement to full demolition and rebuild, and the preparation for and completion of such works can take considerable time. In addition, it is expected there will be Covid-19 impacts on 2021 output. Details on the number of homes remediated across both local authorities in 2021 will be known in early 2022 and full details will be made available.

Up to 10 March 2021, Mayo County Council had received 77 applications, of which 57 are stage 1 approved with 6 stage 2 applications currently under evaluation. Donegal County Council had received 234 applications of which 145 are stage 1 approved with 10 stage 2 applications currently under evaluation.

The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme currently applies to Donegal and Mayo only. Any consideration of an extension to scheme to other counties would, in the first instance, require the relevant local authority to carry out a rigorous analysis of the issues locally. Such analysis would need to demonstrate that identified issues are due to the presence of excessive amounts of deleterious materials (mica or pyrite) in the aggregate used to manufacture the concrete blocks. The relevant "I.S.465" protocol would need to be followed in this regard. The extent of the problem would also need to be quantified.

In respect of local authority housing stock in Donegal, my Department has engaged with the local authority in relation to homes which may be impacted by defective concrete blocks. My Department will give due consideration to any submissions received on the matter.

Separately, my Department has recently extended the pyrite remediation scheme to include the administrative area of Limerick City and County Council, which will see homeowners of dwellings with significant damage attributable to pyritic heave in County Limerick eligible to apply for remediation works under the Pyrite Remediation Scheme.

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