Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 January 2024
268. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason for delay with granting the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant to homeowners in Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3628/24]
View answerThe Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act), which contains the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme commenced on 22 June 2023 and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023.
The Enhanced Grant Scheme provided for the extension of the scheme to include dwellings damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks in its construction, in the administrative areas of Clare County Council and Limerick City and County Council.
The 2022 Act sets out the roles of both local authorities and the Housing Agency.
Local authorities have responsibility for the administration of the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme. This includes the initial validation of applications, notifying homeowners of the Housing Agency's determinations on damage threshold, the appropriate remediation option and grant amount, determination of the grant payable for alternative accommodation and storage costs and immediate repair works and the subsequent payment of grants to successful applicants.
The Housing Agency act as technical agents on behalf of the local authorities under the Enhanced Grant Scheme. Applications received by a local authority are referred to the Housing Agency to review the 'Building Condition Assessment Report' and determine if the home has met the 'damage threshold' for entry to the scheme. Once a home has met the damage threshold for entry to the scheme, the Housing Agency engage its Framework Chartered Engineers to undertake the assessment, survey, sampling, testing and categorisation of the dwelling thereafter on a priority basis in accordance with the national standard I.S. 465:2018 and thereafter determine the appropriate remediation option and grant amount.
In order to comply with the 2022 Act certain steps and procedures must be adhered to and I am assured that both Clare County Council and the Housing Agency are progressing applications to the scheme efficiently. If there are any specific cases queries should be addressed in the first instance to Clare County Council as administrators of the scheme.
