Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2023
371. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the provision of emergency funding for interim measures in buildings with construction defects; and when he will publish the code of conduct on remediating fire safety defects. [29304/23]
View answer380. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the defective apartments and duplexes redress scheme will be enacted; if retrospective applications for redress will be included in the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29324/23]
View answer381. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the defective apartments and duplexes redress scheme; the stage of the establishment of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29325/23]
View answer394. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if an apartment owner carries out remediation work on their apartment to correct a building defect, if that hinders them subsequently accessing financial assistance for these works under the upcoming defective builds scheme for apartments, considering they have a builder ready to carry out these works to prevent water getting into the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29740/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 371, 380, 381 and 394 together.
Since the receipt of Government approval in January of this year, I have been working to progress the various programmes of work that are required to place the scheme to establish supports for the remediation of fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013 on a statutory footing.
A key aspect of this work is developing a Code of Practice in the context of the Fire Services Acts, to provide guidance to relevant professionals, including guidance on interim safety measures. The development of this Code of Practice was a key recommendation of the Working Group I established to examine defects in Housing.
The Group working on this Code includes industry professionals, local authority fire services, the Housing Agency and my Department. The work of this Group is nearing completion and I expect to be in a position to publish this Code of Practice for public consultation in the coming weeks.
This Code of Practice will be a key feature on which the operation of the statutory scheme will be based. It will support the development of a reasonable and practicable approach to resolving fire safety defects, and to ensure a consistent approach nationwide to remediation. While the Code of Practice will apply to the remediation of fire-safety defects, it could be built upon in regard to the remediation of structural and water-ingress defects in due course.
The scheme will incorporate a means or methodology, based on the Code of Practice, for prioritising the allocation and nature of support and funding, including the funding of interim measures, to ensure that the highest risk buildings will be the first to be supported.
I have listened to calls from homeowner representative bodies and Government has agreed that remediation costs already incurred or levied prior to the introduction of the scheme will be covered under the scheme once such costs fall within the scope and defined parameters of the scheme. The details and mechanics of this will be worked out as the legislation is drafted.
The scheme will be administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis and interaction and interdependency with local authority fire services and others is being considered, with the remediation of fire safety defects carried out to the satisfaction of the local authority fire services. An advice and information service and portal within the Housing Agency is in the process of being established.
In addition, work is also underway to draft the required legislation, which will include the scope, eligibility and conditions of the remediation scheme. While I am working on the development of the scheme as a matter of priority, sufficient time is required to draft the legislation to ensure that the scheme is fit for purpose, provides value for tax payer’s money and contains appropriate oversight and governance measures.
