Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
449. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of correspondence, including the date of the most recent correspondence, and the nature of communication between his Department and Clare County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50548/21]
View answer450. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the dates and format of engagement between his Department and Clare County Council in relation to defective blocks, the inclusion of homeowners in the county in the national redress scheme and the presence of pyrite in homes in County Clare since February 2021. [50597/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 449 and 450 together.
The regulations for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme came in to operation on 31 January 2020. The 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 and is not a national redress scheme.
My Department received both a written and electronic submission from Clare County Council, dated 23 July 2021, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme to County Clare. A written acknowledgement of this submission subsequently issued to the Council on 3 August 2021. This acknowledgement informed the Council that my Department would review the submission and also sought a detailed breakdown of costs associated with the report.
A breakdown of costs associated with the report was received electronically from Clare Co Council on 28 September, 2021. A formal response to the submission from Clare County County will issue shortly from my Department. My officials spoke to colleagues in Clare County Council on 8 October 2021 in that regard.
Any extension of the Scheme will be considered as part of broader considerations by Government as part of the process following receipt of the Report of the Working Group on Defective Concrete Blocks. In this regard, following discussions with Government colleagues, I will shortly be bringing proposals to Government.
