Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2024
389. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if County Leitrim will be included in the defective concrete blocks scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10010/24]
View answerI commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The new scheme is now open to applications in four counties: Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo with comprehensive information of all aspects of the Scheme available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/service/8002e-enhanced-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme/.
When a local authority that is not designated under the Scheme determines through the established mechanisms that homes within their functional area have been damaged by defective concrete blocks, they can seek to have the scheme extended to include any such county or part of such county.
Section 5 of the Act contains details on this process. This statutory designation process can commence upon a request by a local authority or by myself, as Minister, to the Housing Agency. The Agency thereafter carries out technical testing of dwellings in a given local authority administrative area. As soon as practicable after the completion of any testing, the Housing Agency shall make a recommendation to me whether an order to designate the whole or part of a local authority's administrative area should or should not be made by the Government.
In the first instance a homeowner should make contact with their local authority, in this case Leitrim County Council. Upon a request from the local authority, officials in the Housing Agency will meet with the council to discuss the process and what is required under the 2022 Act.
I received correspondence dated 20 February 2024 regarding a motion from Manorhamilton Municipal District regarding the DCB Scheme and my Department will write back to Leitrim County Council outlining the steps involved and offering appropriate assistance if required.
