Defective Building Materials
Dail Éireann — 2022-09-28
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Darragh O'Brien (FF), Dublin Fingal

First, the defective block scheme, as the Deputy knows, is an Exchequer and Government commitment in the region of €2.7 billion to assist homeowners in need of help in affected counties. We needed to underpin that with legislation. I also want to say to the Deputy that the mistakes of the first defective concrete blocks scheme need to be learned. They were set up under regulations and not on a sound basis under legislation. I have said to the Construction Defects Alliance that we will need legislation.
On the Deputy’s specific question around timeframes, I intend to bring options for financial assistance and for how this scheme would operate this year. I will stay in touch, as I have done regularly, with the Construction Defects Alliance and with other stakeholders. I am committed to helping in this space. The Deputy is right. I know thousands of homeowners and I have met with them in my own constituency and right across the country. This Government will help. I ask - in fairness, we have had this heretofore in respect of defects - for a constructive approach from all of us, because all of us want this rectified. I will not be dragging my feet on this, but we have to get the scheme right. I have to bring forward options that get agreement in government as to what we can do.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2022-09-28/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:51:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-09-28