Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 October 2021
194. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will ensure that any scheme for the remediation of homes with pyrite or MICA in the block work will not be limited on a geographic basis and that any homes impacted by this will be included regardless of location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49790/21]
View answerThe Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 provide for a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the counties of Donegal and Mayo only, to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks. The regulations came in to operation on 31 January 2020 and it has been open for applications since the end of June 2020.
The Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme was informed by the report of an Expert Panel which was published in 2017 which involved extensive research, investigations and analysis. Any consideration of an extension to the Defective Concrete Blocks Grants Scheme would, in the first instance, require the relevant local authority to conduct the same rigorous analysis as that carried out in Donegal and Mayo.
Such analysis would need to demonstrate that identified issues in other Counties were 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. Pending the receipt of and consideration of such analysis it would be premature to consider an extension of the scheme. Any extension of the scheme would also have to be the subject of budgetary discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
