Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 ('the 2022 Act') on 22 June 2023, which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023. I set up an Implementation Steering Group for the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant scheme, comprising officials from the relevant local authorities, the Department, the Housing Agency, and the Homeowner's Liaison Officer. This Group meets every 4-6 weeks and keeps the operation of the DCB Scheme under continuous review. The most recent engagement took place on 12 September 2024.

My Department established a subgroup of the Implementation Group to address matters relating financial aspects of the grant scheme. Meetings were held in January and April this year with all key stakeholders present including representatives from Engineers Ireland, Insurance Ireland, the Department of Finance, local authorities and Homeowner Action Groups. The BPFI also attended these meetings and were active contributors to the discussions held.

Working with the subgroup, my Department made changes to the DCB Scheme’s administration to allow the earlier release of funds to homeowners so as to address the specific concerns that homeowners expressed at the sub-group meetings with regard to the facility to draw down an earlier grant payment in respect of professional fees so that they can be paid by homeowners. These changes were notified to local authorities on 24 May 2024 and are now operational.

The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has introduced bespoke arrangements to assist DCB homeowners to access the existing Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) energy efficiency retrofitting grant as seamlessly as possible. Changes introduced on 12 June 2024 mean that more households in the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme have the opportunity to avail of SEAI grants.

A review mechanism is provided within the 2022 Act, which provides for an increase or decrease the overall grant scheme cap (currently €420,000) a year after the Act has been commenced by no more than 10%, in accordance with the conditions of Section 11 of the Act. My Department received updated cost reports from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) that have been considered by the Expert Group I established. The Expert Group has recommended increases under the 2022 Act and I will bring a Memo to Government shortly to increase the current scheme cap for remediation options, ancillary grants and the grant rates.

The 2022 Act provides that any increase in the scheme cap or grant rates will apply to eligible relevant owners that are yet to receive a determination in respect of remediation option and grant amount. Extending these increases to a wider group of relevant owners requires amending the 2022 Act and I will be bringing a proposal to Government to give effect to this policy intention.

The NSAI is Ireland’s official standards body and is an autonomous body under the aegis of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The NSAI are undertaking a review of I.S. 465 and following the publication of any revised standard published by the NSAI, the Act provides for a review of the operation of the Act within 3 months of the completion of the review of the standard.