Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2022
338. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the procedure that is in place in terms of the decanting of social housing tenants, both in local authorities and approved housing bodies, when works need to be completed on their homes due to the presence of pyrite or Mica. [51466/22]
View answerFollowing on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022 on 21 June and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on the 23 July, 2022.
The purpose of this Act is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the scheme as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021. Full details can be found at www.gov.ie/en/press-release/328d7-minister-obrien-welcomes-progress-on-enhanced-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme/.
Section 36(1) of the Act provides that the Government may make a scheme for the purposes of enabling a designated local authority or an approved housing body to remedy damage caused to dwellings by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction.
In order to inform the necessary administrative and governance arrangements to be put in place prior to the roll out of this scheme my Department is developing a pilot scheme with Donegal County Council on local authority homes which are impacted. My Department is also in discussion with a Donegal based Approved Housing Body with a view to involving homes from that sector in the pilot.
With regard to the separate Pyrite Remediation Scheme, the provisions of the Pyrite Resolution Act, 2013, apply only to dwellings affected by significant damage attributable to pyritic heave consequent on the presence of reactive pyrite in the subfloor hardcore material and not to damage arising in any other circumstance, e.g. such as pyrite in concrete blocks.
The Pyrite Remediation Scheme is a scheme of “last resort” for affected homeowners who have no other practical option to obtain redress and is limited in its application and scope. Implementation of the Scheme is a matter for The Housing Agency who manage the remediation process, undertake procurement of professional services and the remediation contracts.
Local Authority Homes are not eligible for inclusion in the Pyrite Remediation Scheme as per section 3(5)(f) of the Pyrite Resolution Act 2013. Approved Housing Bodies are however scheme participants and are dealt with in the same manner as all other participants.
The Guide for Scheme Participants provides more detailed information around the whole remediation process and can be found on the PRB website www.pyriteboard.ie/.
