Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2025-12-11
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PJ Murphy (FG), Agricultural Panel

I thank the Minister and his officials for their presence. We are looking at the approval of a number of positive amendments to a Bill that was intended to relieve a large number of unfortunate homeowners, predominantly in the north west, from the financial burden of rectifying the disastrous consequences of defective concrete blocks used in the construction of their homes. From the outset, this well-intended Bill has been controversial, to say the least. A large number of people whom the Bill was intended to assist have again and again expressed great dissatisfaction at a number of key elements in the working of the scheme. Today's amendments aim to address a number of the root causes of that dissatisfaction. What is proposed here will significantly improve the workability of this scheme for many affected homeowners.
These amendments will widen the group of relevant owners who can avail of the most recent increases in the grant scheme cap and rates. It will allow relevant owners who have incurred qualifying expenditure since 29 March 2024 that was unpaid due to them reaching the maximum scheme cap in place at that time of €420,000 to now be able to apply for their designated local authority to have a new remediation option grant amount determined in line with increased scheme cap rates. This amendment will also facilitate for married couples and those who are civil partners or are cohabiting to satisfy the definition of a relevant owner. The absence of this in the 2022 Act was proving problematic for a number of applicants to the scheme.
The first amendment relates to allowing for an exemption from the general principle of the scheme, for example, that houses be remediated in more or less the exact same location as they are now. Noting the difficulties that certain vulnerable relevant owners and family members may face in finding suitable alternative accommodation, this amendment, as the Minister just said, will now allow for construction of adjacent dwellings in limited circumstances. I feel this is a very important measure and will greatly reduce stress levels for a number of particularly vulnerable families during what will inevitably be a very difficult period.
The second amendment relates to facilitating owners of certain conjoined homes, for example, semi-detached or terraced homes, to enter the scheme at an earlier time thus potentially facilitating joint building works. In a number of conjoined dwellings, one dwelling may meet the damage threshold of the grant scheme and the other, although displaying visual signs, may not meet the damage threshold at the time. These amendments will allow in certain situations that the requirement for a dwelling to meet the damage threshold may be waived in order to facilitate early grant option on determination by the Housing Agency. On this point, the bizarre situation of one particular semi-detached unit just outside Ballybofey in County Donegal comes to mind where one adjoining unit was approved for demolition under the scheme and its adjoining home was merely approved for remediation works. This particular amendment will help to avoid the recurrence of such bizarre anomalies within the scheme. Importantly, the main amendment before us today will also allow for retrospective grant payments on production of receipts or invoices.
To date, more than €235 million has been spent on this scheme, and 3,022 homeowners are at various stages of the scheme. Counties Donegal, Clare, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo currently fall within the remit of the scheme, and this will now be extended to the Wexford and Fingal local authority areas. While I am very much aware that today's amendments do not address every concern that has been outlined by the campaign groups, I have no doubt that a number of the most problematic anomalies within the scheme will be rectified by the amendments before us today. This is a very complicated scheme and aims to assist people in what is a very difficult situation. Today's amendments are not a silver bullet that will satisfy all concerns but are indeed a very large step in the right direction. I commend these amendments to the House.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:27+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-11