Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2024
363. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the full rollout of the interim fire safety funding for apartment owners affected by fire defects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4320/24]
View answerI announced the opening of the Interim Remediation Scheme (Scheme) on 11 December 2023 for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. The Scheme is being administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis and is open to applications from Apartment Owner Management Companies (OMCs) via the Housing Agency’s website: www.housingagency.ie/interim-remediation-scheme-fire-safety-defects-eligible-apartments-and-duplexes-2023.
The Scheme provides for the full funding of interim measures in order to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings, pending completion of the full remedial works. Full remedial works, which will include all necessary fire safety measures as well as those related to water ingress and structural damage, will be funded under a statutory scheme.
Work is advancing to draft the required legislation, which will include the scope, eligibility and conditions of the full, statutory remediation scheme. In the recently published Government Legislation Programme for Spring 2024 the legislation has been included for priority drafting and I expect it to be published later this year.
