Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 November 2022
374. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the membership of the cross-departmental working group on building defects; its terms of reference; the number of times that it has met to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54497/22]
View answerFollowing receipt and consideration of the report of the working group I established to examine defects in housing, I have established an inter-Departmental and agency group to bring forward specific proposals to Government by the end of the year with a view to providing support to homeowners of purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013 with defects and who find themselves in a difficult financial situation.
The terms of reference of this group are to:
1. Consider the recommendations contained in the Report of Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing.
2. Elaborate on the options for the potential sources of financial support and the potential channels for deployment contained in the Report of Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing.
3. Propose delivery mechanisms for the deployment of funding and develop an options paper with a view to providing support to homeowners who find themselves in a difficult financial situation through no fault of their own.
Membership of the inter-departmental and agency group comprises officials from my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Finance, the Department of Justice, the Housing Agency, the Office of the Attorney General and the Local Authority Fire Services.
The group held its first meeting on October 18th and its second meeting took place today, November 8th.
