Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 July 2023
36. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will agree to homeowner amendments to the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act, passed almost one year ago, considering that the reason he refused these amendments at the time was his urgency to get the new scheme up and running. [32741/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra58. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the dismay caused to hundreds of homeowners in defective block homes in Donegal, who have had their application under the defective concrete block grant scheme referred by Donegal County Council to the Housing Agency to adjudicate on, under the remediation of dwellings damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks scheme; and to confirm that these referrals are down to the emerging science that has severely undermined the IS465, and to the serious delays in the review of IS 465 that he ordered. [32740/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI commenced the 2022 Act on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. The Regulations provide the details for the enhanced scheme not included in the 2022 Act such as square metre grant rates and the definition of damage. The enhanced grant scheme is now open to applications 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/.
With respect to applications transferred to the scheme from the previous scheme, the 2022 Act provides for transitional arrangements from the previous scheme to the Enhanced Grant Scheme. In respect of applicants who have applied under the previous scheme but have not received a confirmation of eligibility from the relevant local authority (stage 1 approval), the designated local authority will write to the applicant informing them that their application will be dealt with under the provisions of the Enhanced scheme and the determination of the damage threshold, determination of the remediation grant option and amount will be assessed by the Housing Agency subject to various modifications which may allow the current scheme engineering reports to be considered by the Housing Agency under the Enhanced scheme.
The Regulations were subject to a consultation process with key stakeholders, including with homeowners’ action groups. I included a number of amendments agreed in the drafting stage based on submissions received from key stakeholders in the final Regulations.
I am also establishing an Implementation Steering Group made up of officials from the relevant local authorities, my Department, the Housing Agency and the Homeowner’s Liaison Officer to aid in the implementation of the enhanced scheme. My Department has requested that each of the four local authorities and the Housing Agency nominate a representative to sit on the Group together with the Homeowner Liaison Officer. The focus will be on the detailed operational and implementation matters pertaining to the Enhanced Scheme. I have also requested a Report be prepared and submitted to within six months of the Scheme's launch. That will then be an appropriate time to reflect on the workings of the Scheme and to assess the need for any amendments to the regulations and guidelines and how they operate.
