Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 March 2022
184. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the updated defective concrete block grant scheme will amount to 100% redress for the affected families in the west of Ireland; and if he will provide the necessary resources in his Department to expedite the required legislation, regulations and ongoing consultation with the family campaign groups. [11167/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI brought a Memorandum to Government on an enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme on the 30 November 2021. It included an unprecedented suite of improvements to the current scheme. Government approved the enhanced scheme which it is estimated will cost approximately €2.2Bn.
Full details in relation to the changes announced are available at the following link;
www.gov.ie/en/press-release/e365e-minister-obrien-announces-enhancements-to-the-defective-concrete-block-scheme/.
As part of the implementation of the Government decision on changes to the enhanced scheme the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) agreed to produce a report on up to date construction costs for the type of remediation works carried out under the scheme. I have received the SCSI report on Construction Costs for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme, which was published today, 3 March 2022, and I have now requested that the Expert Working Group on the implementation of the scheme analyse the report and make recommendations on how to operationalise its findings.
In addition, I have formally appointed John O’Connor as liaison to the Homeowners Forum to ensure Homeowners views are represented throughout the practical progression of the scheme. Mr O’Connor is the Chairperson of the Housing Commission and a member of the Expert Group and this will build on his extensive engagement with homeowners to date on this issue.
I intend to bring the final details of the scheme and the required primary legislation to Cabinet in April.
In the interim three enhancements from the new scheme have been brought into effect through amendments to the existing scheme regulations. On 24 February I signed the Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 to amend the Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks in Construction (Remediation) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2020 so as;
i. to make provision, in the case of an application for confirmation of eligibility received before the date of the coming into operation of these regulations, for the recoupment of the fees connected with the provision of the engineer’s report without the need for a prior stage 1 confirmation of eligibility
ii. to make provision for the inclusion as an allowable cost ‘essential immediate repair works’, up to a value of €5,555, which are identified by a competent engineer in a ‘building condition assessment report’ and relate to the structural stability of any part of a home affected by defective concrete blocks
iii. to make provision for an increase from 75% to 85% in the value of stage payments which can be recouped to an approved applicant prior to the final grant payment
