Following on from the Government decision of the 30 November 2021 in respect of the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme, the Government approved the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022 on 21 June and the Bill passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas and was subsequently signed into law by the President on the 23 July, 2022.
The purpose of this Act is to implement and give legislative underpinning to a series of measures to improve and enhance the scheme as agreed by Government on 30 November 2021. Full details can be found at www.gov.ie/en/press-release/328d7-minister-obrien-welcomes-progress-on-enhanced-defective-concrete-blocks-grant-scheme/.
The priority now is to ensure regulations, including those around the payment of ancillary grant applications as set out in Section 22 of the Act, which are necessary to provide for the finer details around which the new and enhanced scheme will operate are prepared and signed off as soon as possible.
Guidelines to facilitate, promote and support a consistent approach to the operation and administration of the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme will also be drafted by my Department.
The aim and intention is to have the regulations and guidelines finalised before the end of the year with the scheme opening for applications as soon as possible thereafter, which I expect will only be a matter of weeks later.
