Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 May 2024
293. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will increase the current maximum remediation option grant of €420,000 by 10% as provided for in the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 to account for increased building costs; when he intends to review the level of the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24055/24]
View answer294. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when he will implement the updated costs report from an organisation (details supplied) received by his Department on 29 March 2024 to ensure that grants under the defection concrete blocks scheme account for increased construction costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24056/24]
View answer295. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the changes he plans to make to the defective concrete block scheme; if he will ensure the cost of replacing foundations is provided for; the action he intends to take to address the presence of pyrite and pyrrhotite in aggregates within poured concrete foundations and the risk that these will cause future damage to rebuilt homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24057/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 293 to 295, inclusive, together.
I 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.
Under section 11 of the Act, the Government can increase or decrease the overall grant scheme cap of €420,000, 12 months after the Act has been commenced (i.e. on or after 29 June 2024) by no more than 10%.
Following a request from my Department, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) recently provided updated cost reports for the North West and Midwest Regions to my Department. My Department received these updated cost reports on 29 March and they will be provided to the Expert Group shortly to review and make recommendations to me.
Arising from the Government Decision of 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) grant scheme, the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) was tasked with delivering a programme of work to address a number of technical items. An interagency DCB Technical Matters Steering Group has been established to inform and guide the NSAI review of a number of relevant standards including I.S. 465:2018, and the impact, if any on foundations and the effect, if any, of full cavity fill insulation on homes susceptible to defective blockwork.
A number of research proposals developed by the relevant NSAI Technical Committees, including research to investigate pyrrhotite oxidation in concrete blocks and the potential impact of deleterious materials on foundations, have been commissioned and are making good progress.
The NSAI is Ireland’s official standards body and is an autonomous body under the aegis of the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment. I understand they are working on drafting interim guidance that will take the form of an amendment to I.S. 465 to enhance the sampling and testing protocols within the standard, taking account of all available findings to date, including the initial research output relating to internal sulphate attack. The NSAI have confirmed the amendment will serve as a step forward in the review and development process of I.S. 465 noting the full evaluation of I.S. 465 continues to be reliant on the delivery of the final outputs of key research projects.
Following the publication of any revised standard published by the NSAI, the DCB grant scheme will, under the terms of the Act, be reviewed at that point, in the event that such amendments are required.
