Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 February 2023
93. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will task the Housing Agency and or Donegal County Council to engage with holiday homeowners in Donegal and Mayo to establish the number that would make their homes available to families with defective concrete block homes who have to find temporary accommodation while their homes are being demolished and rebuilt. [7634/23]
View answerThe purpose of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the current grant scheme, as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021. The administrative areas of the following counties have been designated by the Act for the purposes of the enhanced grant scheme: Clare County Council; Donegal County Council; Limerick City and County Council; Mayo County Council.
The 2022 Act will be commenced once the related Regulations have been finalised. Draft Regulations have been prepared, which will be the subject of consultation with key stakeholders before the Regulation are finalised and adopted in early 2023. The consultation with key stakeholders, which is being conducted by the appointed Homeowners’ Liaison Officer, commenced this week.
The Regulations will provide for detailed matters within the 2022 Act which are to be prescribed, for example the grant rates, the damage threshold, and the form and content of various reports, certificates, forms, and declarations. Grant rates, to be included in the final Regulations, will be based upon updated regional construction costs for 2023 to be provided by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland.
The enhanced (and current) Defective Concrete Block Grant Schemes are remediation grant schemes of last resort, put in place by Government in order to voluntarily assist homeowners to remediate damage caused by the use of defective concrete blocks
Under the Enhanced Grant Scheme, temporary alternative accommodation for defective concrete block homeowners is addressed, whereby vouched accommodation costs are an allowable cost within the scheme, subject to a maximum of €15,000 per household in the event that the applicant has to move out when remediation works are ongoing. Removal of contents/house components and their temporary storage and reinstatement on completion are also an allowable cost, subject to a maximum of €5,000.
The role of the Housing Agency is to act as agents for each local authority in the technical assessment, testing and categorisation of applications received as provided for in the Act, it does not have a role in identifying or securing temporary accommodation for affected homeowners.
Donegal County Council also engaged with my Department to seek approval for two facilitator posts in Donegal to support homeowners through the defective concrete block (DCB) grant scheme process. The role of the facilitators will include guiding the homeowners through the DCB application process, and facilitating the homeowner to access all other relevant support services, including options for alternative accommodation/storage. A letter of approval supporting the posts of facilitators to assist homeowners through the enhanced DCB grant scheme process has issued from my Department to the Council. Similar support will be made to available to Mayo County Council if required.
My Department has published a comprehensive “Your Questions Answered” to ensure homeowners have the most up to date information available to them. It can be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/775c0-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme-your-questions-answered/.
