Defective Building Materials
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-09
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Charles Ward (RDR), Donegal

During the Celtic tiger construction boom, Ireland experienced unprecedented building activity. Rural development schemes, farm modernisation grants and many co-funded EU agricultural and rural development programmes supported investment in farm infrastructure. The funding itself was legitimate and well-intentioned but the materials used in these construction projects on farms were defective concrete materials. We are talking about thousands of buildings potentially affected. What is clear is that the State is now facing long-term liability for construction decisions made during this period of weak regulation and no oversight. Rapidly developing issues are constantly coming forward.
Will the Minister ask the Minister for housing to include agricultural buildings in the remediation scheme? Are any EU grants available to remediate these buildings?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-09