Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
562. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the owners of properties in County Donegal which have suffered damage due to the MICA issue will be offered a health and safety inspection and or emergency accommodation if necessary while they are awaiting redress through the financial assistance scheme for the remediation of damaged dwellings due to defective concrete blocks in County Donegal. [30582/21]
View answerThe local authority has responsibility for the detailed administration of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme. This includes the assessment of applications for eligibility and payment of grants to successful applicants under the specific remediation option approved.
The scheme only opened for applications at the end of June 2020 and applications received to date are being processed by the respective counties. Affected homeowners should be encouraged to engage with the council on the scheme to ensure that in the first instance their property is eligible for stage 1 approval and that the correct remediation option is identified and implemented as expeditiously as possible.
The provision of health and safety inspections or emergency accommodation would be outside the scope of the scheme but local authorities do have powers under various legislative provisions in terms of the safety of buildings and places.
Engagement between my Department, the local authorities and local action groups in relation to the Scheme will continue. In this regard, I have proposed a timebound working group, with representatives from my Department, the local authorities and homeowner representative groups, to review and address any outstanding issues in relation to the operation of the Scheme, including issues such as grant caps, homeowner contributions, engineering and allowable costs etc. I propose that the recommendations of this working group will inform any changes or improvements to the scheme as may be required, which I will bring forward in conjunction with my Government colleagues, and in particular in consultation with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Attorney General.
