Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 November 2023
234. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question No. 394 of 20 June 2023, when he expects that affected apartment blocks will be able to apply for funding for remediation works for water ingress on defective builds in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49108/23]
View answerSince 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.
The Housing Agency will play a central role in the remediation scheme when it becomes operational. It has established a web portal to serve as a knowledge base and OMCs may indicate their potential interest in the future remediation scheme by inputting information on their developments on the portal which is available on the Housing Agency's website. It should be noted that this portal, which is subject to conditions of use, is not a formal registration mechanism for the future remediation scheme.
Work is also advancing to draft the required legislation, which will include the scope, eligibility and conditions of the remediation scheme. The 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 are being worked out as the legislation is drafted.
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. It is expected the draft legislation will be published in 2024. It is intended that subject to the legislative process, the statutory scheme will be in place shortly thereafter.
