I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I also welcome his father and uncle, who are here. I welcome Christy O'Sullivan, who is a former Member of Dáil Éireann. I welcome Christy's brother and the Minister of State's uncle, Martin, who I am sure is always very generous at the appropriate birthdays.
Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme 2026: Motion
(Interruptions).
I welcome Christy. This will tell people how old I am now, but I served in the parliamentary party with Christy. It is a great honour to have Christy back in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery.
Anois, I call the Acting Leader.
I move:
That Seanad Éireann approves the following scheme in draft:
Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme 2026,
a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 7th August, 2026.
The Minister of State has five minutes, all other Senators have five minutes, and the Minister of State shall reply no later than 3.25 p.m.
I welcome our distinguished guests to the Gallery: my father, Christy, who is a former Deputy and served here from 2007 to 2011, and my uncle, Martin, who would have done a good job serving here as well if he had ever got the chance. He might yet. I thank the Cathaoirleach for the warm welcome for my family members.
I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the defective concrete blocks social homes scheme 2026, an important initiative that will ensure social homes affected by defective concrete blocks can access a comprehensive programme of remediation and support. Last week, the motion supporting the scheme was approved by Dáil Éireann. Subject to the approval of this House, the Minister, Deputy Browne, intends to bring a memorandum to the Government seeking approval for the making of the defective concrete blocks social homes scheme 2026. This will enable the scheme to be formally established and will pave the way for the commencement of remediation works on affected social homes.
This scheme will provide a mechanism through which designated local authorities and approved housing bodies can remediate dwellings in their ownership that have been damaged as a result of the use of defective of concrete blocks in their construction. Upon the establishment of the scheme, these bodies will be able to commence the process of addressing affected homes and ensuring that tenants can continue to live in safe and secure housing.
As Senators will be well aware, a defective concrete grants scheme was introduced in 2020 to provide financial support to affected homeowners in counties Donegal and Mayo whose homes had been damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks. A number of improvements were brought forward under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, which commenced on 22 June 2023. The Government brought forward a number of further significant enhancements to this scheme through the amendment Act of 2025. These measures included, among other changes, amendments relating to the damage threshold for attached dwellings and the introduction of an arrangement to facilitate the construction of adjacent dwellings in specified circumstances.
These measures were designed to provide additional flexibility and support to affected homeowners and to ensure that this scheme continues to respond to the practical challenges arising in individual cases. Measures such as these are delivering real benefits on the ground and significant progress is now being made. At the end of August this year, 604 homes had been remediated, with a further 794 homeowners notifying their relevant designated local authorities of the date of commencement of their works to remediate their homes.
As the Minister, Deputy Browne, highlighted in the Dáil last week, when the current scheme commenced in 2023, it was open to homeowners in four local authority areas. As it stands today, the scheme has expanded significantly since its commencement in 2023. A further five local authority areas have been designated under the grants scheme, bringing the total number to nine counties, namely, Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Sligo, Carlow and parts of the administrative areas of Wexford, Fingal and Meath county councils.
Prior to the drafting of the social homes scheme, my Department engaged in extensive consultation with designated local authorities, the Irish Council for Social Housing and a number of approved housing bodies. The feedback received through this process helped to inform and shape the development of the draft scheme. Following the drafting of the scheme, my Department continues to have regular engagement with these bodies.
The draft social homes scheme replicates most of the defective concrete blocks grant scheme in its provisions. It will be available in designated local authority areas where the whole of the local authority is designated under the grant scheme. The scheme, in terms of content, is based on the current scheme for private homeowners, with appropriate amendments, where necessary, to reflect the slightly different nature of social housing.
There are some areas that differ from the private scheme and the way the scheme would be operationalised in practice by local authorities has been the subject of careful consideration. The Housing Agency conducts all of the technical work under the current private scheme. The agency will have no such role in the social scheme. Instead, the designated local authority or approved housing body will arrange the preparation of a building condition assessment report and engage a competent engineer to undertake a report in line with IS 465:2026. Furthermore, the designated local authority or approved housing body will engage a contractor to undertake the remediation works required. The designated local authority or approved housing body will seek recoupment of moneys it expends in remediating a dwelling directly from my Department.
Finally, the designated local authority or approved housing body will be obliged to rehouse tenants, where necessary, while an affected home is being remediated. This will be funded under the ancillary grant element of the scheme to a maximum amount of €16,500, exactly as per the current scheme.
The scheme is underpinned by the national testing standard known as IS 465:2026. On 2 June, the National Standards Authority of Ireland published a revised version of this standard.
The scheme now substantially reflects the provisions of the revised standard, including the prescribed approach to testing for defective concrete blocks. As a result, determinations under the defective concrete blocks grant scheme will be based on the most up to date national testing standard and are applied consistently across all designated local authority areas. I have consistently emphasised the importance of following the science.
This publication requires a review of the operation of the Act, which has been commenced. It is being carried out by the Department with the assistance of external expertise as necessary. Findings from this review may require changes to the current private scheme and any changes may also be brought to the social homes scheme in the future. In February 2026, the County and City Management Association, CCMA, produced a revised estimate of the number of affected dwellings for private and social homes. The Irish Council for Social Housing has also provided an estimate for approved housing body dwellings. Using these estimates for the number of potentially impacted dwellings indicates a revised private and social homes scheme cost of €3.1 billion excluding inflation. It is estimated that there are just over 2,400 social housing units likely to be impacted by defective concrete blocks. Based on average estimated remediation costs per unit of €300,000, the overall cost of the social scheme will be approximately €728 million, again excluding inflation. I am anxious to move this programme forward and to see works commence on these homes at the earliest opportunity. I encourage each designated local authority to make full use of the resources available to them to ensure that affected homes are remediated promptly to the highest possible standards. I also encourage designated local authorities to co-ordinate their efforts to access other schemes and funding streams available that can support the remediation of social homes. The Department will work closely with them on this to ensure the delivery of an efficient, effective and value for money scheme for tenants and the wider tax payer, and in particular to adapt a co-ordinated approach with the Department's energy efficiency retrofit programme for social homes. This approach will help us deliver not only safe and sustainable homes but long-term benefits for tenants through improved comfort, reduced energy consumption and lower household energy. Furthermore, by co-ordinating their efforts in this way I am satisfied that all funding necessary to deliver high-quality, energy efficient and remediated social homes will be available to the sector. I note that this was a recurring concern of Deputies when the scheme was debated last week.
Concerns were also raised about the institutional capacity of the local authorities in particular to manage and implement this scheme. The Department has for some time supported additional staffing resources where needed in the relevant councils and remains committed to doing so where appropriate as the scheme moves forward quickly into implementation. The scheme is about ensuring that social housing tenants living in affected homes have access to the same commitment from the State as has been provided to private home owners. It is about delivering practical solutions, supporting communities and ensuring that remediation works can proceed as quickly and effectively as possible. I commend the motion to the House and look forward to working with Senators to ensure the successful implementation of this very important scheme.
I thank the Minister of State for his work on this important issue. I echo the welcome for his dad, Christy and his grand-uncle, Martin. I know if it is a school group the Cathaoirleach normally tells them there is no homework for this evening or the next week. I do not know what he has in his bag for them but on the basis of the fact that he served in the parliamentary party with Christy Snr., I am sure he will lavish them with some gift before they go. They should make sure they do not go empty handed. The Minister of State has lavish pockets.
I jest but this is a hugely important issue. I also welcome Deputy Charles Ward to the Chamber. This is a huge issue for him, and he has been extremely passionate. I have listened to him many times about it. I thank him for showing this House the courtesy of coming in to hear the debate. That is important. Any of us who have been to County Donegal in the throes of mica, and who have witnessed the turmoil, chaos and absolute heartache this has caused, knew that this was an issue that had to be addressed. We have come on a long journey. I concede we are not all the way there, but this is an important plank in addressing it and being a full amelioration of what was a nightmare scenario. I know lives, marriages and relationships were lost over this in Donegal. I was up there at the time of the Seanad election with Councillor Martin McDermott and saw the absolute chaos. It was like a war-torn situation around his own family home and other houses of siblings, relations and neighbours who were affected by this. The spectrum of it was frightening to behold and it commanded a strong Government response. We are getting there. As I said, this is an important plank, but we need this issue fully addressed and taken off the table as soon as possible.
This scheme is to enable a designated local authority or approved housing bodies with dwellings located in a designated local authority area to remedy damage caused to dwellings owned by a local authority or approved housing body where defective blocks were used in the construction. The new social homes scheme replicates most of the defective concrete blocks grant scheme in its provision and is based on the current enhanced scheme with appropriate amendments where necessary to reflect the slightly different nature of social housing. Social homes will receive the same remediation options as those covered under the enhanced scheme for private housing and the same grant cap, grant rates and damage threshold requirements. I was particularly pleased that the Minister of State addressed the issue of staffing within local authorities. There are issues with it and all local authorities, particularly housing departments, are working under huge pressure. I would not like the roll-out of the scheme to be held up through staffing issues, be they in the Department or in local authorities. The Minister, Deputy Browne, brought forward a number of additional significant improvements to the defective blocks scheme in the 2025 Act and these included changes such as providing the opportunity for certain homeowners to apply for increased grants and the construction of adjacent dwellings in specific circumstances. Measures such as these are having an impact and real progress is being made. To the end of August this year, as the Minister of State said, 604 homes have been remediated with a further 794 homes notified of their relevant designation through their local authority.
One point that has not been addressed relates to tenant purchase. The defective blocks issue has gone on for a long time and several tenants at some stage would possibly have liked to buy out their local authority home. They have now reached a stage in their life where they are over 45. As someone who has just turned 45, I can attest it is hard to get a mortgage once you get past 45, even a local authority mortgage. I would like the Department to at least give some consideration to the issue of tenant purchase for these properties. The rules currently governing tenant purchase should be relaxed for these houses on the basis that there has been a gap in time where people would ordinarily have bought their house, but they were obviously not going to buy out a mica-affected house. However, once these houses are ameliorated and put back right, there should be a retrospective opportunity for people to buy out those houses. Apart from that, I am happy with all aspects of the scheme.
I welcome the Minister of State and his family. I also particularly welcome Deputy Charles Ward for his sterling work on this. I acknowledge Councillors Joy Beard, Denis McGee, Ali Farren and Tomás Seán Devine of the 100% Redress party. This is a registered political party that was activated by its advocacy work for people on the ground. We must not forget that. We live in a democracy. These people have a mandate from the people in their community that they represent. I work closely with them from time to time as issues arise. I acknowledge their significant input and the Deputy's leadership in that organisation. That is not to go without acknowledging the enormous work of Deputies of all parties and none on the ground, who have had to work under very challenging sets of circumstances.
Today, Seanad Éireann has been asked to approve the defective concrete blocks social homes scheme 2026, which is standard practice. It is good parliamentary practice, and I am delighted the Minister of State has come here to set out the case for the motion. A copy of this motion draft form was laid before Seanad Éireann, so we would have an opportunity to consider it in some detail. I welcome the opportunity to speak here on what is an important matter. I do not talk about houses and places; I talk about homes.
We are talking about family homes, where people live or are attempting to live under very difficult sets of circumstances. I draw no distinction between social and private housing. All housing is housing. It provides homes. All should be of equal standard. All equal issues in terms of redress should be across the board. I am conscious of section 13(6) of the 2022 Act, which provides for that, but let us be clear: the legislation provides for it but it needs to be acted on on the ground. I acknowledge the advocacy, as the public representatives have already done. Donegal, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Sligo and parts of the administrative local authority areas of Wexford, Fingal and Meath county councils are now under this scheme, and that is to be encouraged. Who is to say? There may be an opportunity - there may have to be an opportunity - to include others, but let us leave that for the moment.
I will just touch on a few issues in the short time I have. One is about capacity, which has been touched on. Councils and approved housing bodies, AHBs, are set to be responsible for assessing the properties, appointing appropriate engineers and contractors and rehousing tenants if needed. That is an enormous additional workload in terms of the county managers' or their chief executives' capacity. There are issues of concern around that. I understand that the Department has had ongoing consultation with the AHBs and with the Irish Council for Social Housing, and that is important. That engagement must not stop now, and I ask the Minister of State to take that back to the senior Minister. The level of consultation with the Housing Agency and all local authorities must continue in a very positive way.
Councils are concerned. The city and county managers have expressed concerns to the Department. I am aware of that. I have seen documentation so I am fully aware of what I am talking about. They have expressed concerns to the principal Minister in the Minister of State's Department about funding shortfalls and the capacity to approve landfill facilities, given the anticipated volumes of defective concrete blocks that will be required for disposal. Councils and AHBs have expressed serious concerns that they may be left with significant shortfalls in funding and remediation or rebuilding in terms of properties and replacing new homes. They have expressed this formally to the Department in their engagement in their representative group as sitting county managers, and we have to take that on board. The 100% Redress party described the proposed scheme as "a welcome step". That is an important step. I really wanted to know what 100% Redress thought. It said that it welcomed this and that it was a significant step but that significant concerns remained regarding governance. It had concerns about governance, tenancy rights, independent review mechanisms, staffing capacity and delivery of timelines. It went on to say in its statement that it feared that the draft scheme provides substantially fewer procedural protections for tenants than those available to private homeowners. I ask the Minister of State to take that on board and give the necessary reassurances as time goes on. The party added that a robust framework that incorporates independent technical review, tenant representation, dedicated staffing and delivery timelines will be essential to maintain the public confidence and the consistent decisions across all councils. They are valid points.
I am absolutely supportive that we proceed with this motion. I fully support the Government's motion. Let us now just get on with it. We do not want any more history lessons about what happened in the past. We have to get forward, and the key message has to be constant monitoring, constant appraisal, constant communication and getting people back living in their homes of choice appropriate to their needs in their communities and moving on. I wish the Minister of State every success with this motion.
I thank the Minister of State for being here this afternoon. I welcome his uncle Martin and his father, Christy, who are here as well. I also acknowledge Deputy Charles Ward, who has done a lot of work, as has been mentioned, in this space. Being from County Mayo, I know first-hand the scourge that has been the defective concrete blocks issue. We call it pyrite in our area and it is mica in Donegal, and other areas are affected by it. Senator Boyhan very well encapsulated the messaging on it. It is someone's home. It is not a house; it is a home. I have witnessed first-hand, having met with families, the stress and pressure they have always been under throughout this process, every evening coming home from work looking at cracks on the wall getting bigger and hearing gable walls move while they have children in the house. It is just unimaginable. I stood alongside them many times protesting both here in Dublin and at home in Mayo to advocate for better reforms and better supports of the system.
This afternoon is another step in the right direction. It should not matter whether it is a social home or a private home. People deserve adequate housing, a roof over their head and adequate conditions, whether they are elderly and retiring or a young family. They all require a proper and acceptable standard of living and dignity. It has been an unimaginable time. Insurers ran a mile from this issue and lots of people who were unregulated ran from responsibility. The Government has stepped in in unprecedented form, albeit at times not to the speed that any of us would have liked. It is responding in a way that is slowly but surely dealing with an unprecedented challenge that has affected so many people. The measures being brought forward today are very welcome.
I have seen hundreds of homeowners whom I have worked with and tried to help along the way go through the whole process. To walk or drive through different housing estates - in Ballina, for example - and see brand-new houses being built and people now getting on with their lives and being able to put this in the rear-view mirror is very welcome. I also deal with people who are in social homes, who are negatively impacted by defective concrete blocks and who, equally, are looking for remediation and supports through the local authority. This measure will allow for that, thankfully.
I would welcome, as Senator Flaherty and others mentioned, the resourcing of local authorities to deal with schemes swiftly in order to keep things moving along at an expedited pace, with engagement with contractors to make sure that there are common-sense solutions on the ground and that the response is at speed and at scale. I know Donegal is a particularly badly affected area. I acknowledge all the public representatives there, past and present, who have worked with local communities, who are the ones suffering at the end of the day. It is our job as representatives to try to respond to that as much as possible. There have been a lot of difficult days for representatives and families, but I know from seeing families come through the other side that there is a lot of hope and positivity that they have a new forever home that is state of the art and that, please God, will be there long into the future to keep a roof over their head and protect themselves and their family.
I welcome and fully support this motion.
I welcome the Minister of State. We in Sinn Féin are not opposing this motion. However, we think it has been approached in the wrong way, and I will give the House the reasons.
Social housing tenants have been waiting a long time for a scheme like this. The problem is that it just does not seem like the Government will 100% fund this, and when I say 100% I mean the demolition, the staffing, the construction disposal and temporary accommodation for the tenants when this is going on. The councils, if this is the case, will not be able to proceed with the works that are necessary and what needs to happen. Looking at the private scheme that is going on at the moment, homeowners have a shortfall of sometimes €50,000 or €100,000. If the same thing is going to happen with the council houses, there will be councils that will be hundreds of millions short of what they need to do. I am just conscious that we need to make sure that if this is going ahead, it is 100% redress, to include all of what is needed for council houses to be refurbished. I had a family from County Limerick come up to me at the ploughing and they said that they had their house assessed in 2024. They were told there was pyrite in the house. They are still waiting. It is nearly the end of 2026 now. That is two years they are still waiting. The shocking thing I heard was that the walls were tested but the foundation was not.
Everybody says that the best thing for anything, in education or whatever you do in life, is a good foundation. A good foundation in a house is important. If we are not testing the foundation and we are just going to put whatever fix on the walls - knock the walls and rebuild them or whatever it is that is planned - we are going to end up with a redress scheme for the redress scheme because it is just going to happen again. If there is an issue with the foundation, the foundation needs to be tested and sorted and the house needs to be knocked or whatever has to happen. I am not a builder, so I do not know the ins and outs of what happens down to the nitty-gritty, but I do know that the foundation of anything is important. Will the Minister of State go back to the Department and please look at that flaw that seems to be in the scheme, but also at the shortfall? None of these schemes is going to work unless it is 100% redress. The schemes are just not. Families cannot afford a shortfall of €50,000 or €100,000 and councils definitely cannot. I would like to see the funding going into councils to be able to provide this because the Minister of State mentioned a couple of counties but there could be others where he problem has just not shown up yet. This could end up being in all 32 counties. A review has been initiated but it needs to make real change. The results need to show real change happening and 100% redress. I will leave it at that.
The Minister of State is very welcome. I welcome Deputy Charlie Ward. He has informed me. I would be asking the stupidest questions about all levels of what is going on in Donegal. I also welcome Councillors Joy Beard, Ali Farren, Tomás Seán Devine and Denis McGee. I am someone who is new to politics and Deputy Ward gave me an awful lot of time explaining things in a very humble and generous way. That can be seen right throughout these Houses in a very considerate and respectful way. He was very willing to work with anyone who was willing to listen, and it paid off. Well done to Deputy Ward and to all the councillors. I thank the Minister of State for listening to what they were saying. I went to Deputy Ward's house. A lot of people would not invite you into their house to show you the situation people are living in. I thank him and say, "Well done".
We welcome this scheme. It has been a long time coming. Local authorities like Donegal County Council have spent scarce resources on this. As has been pointed out, the concrete does not care who owns the home, be it a social home or a private home. I do not want to be negative about it. What I am saying is informed by the councillors and by Deputy Ward himself and relates to the possible defects in the scheme that should be addressed now rather than later. That includes testing the foundations. That must be included in this scheme. It makes no sense to rebuild a property on potentially compromised foundations and leave the State to carry possible future risk.
Under IS 465:2026, where a dwelling is found to have internal sulphate attack, the appropriate remedy is demolition and rebuild. This scheme must fully reflect the scientific standard. That has been pointed out many times. The review of the standard - IS 465:2026 - has gone to the Minister, Deputy Browne, who must ensure that it is incorporated into the existing private scheme and the social housing scheme.
Temporary accommodation has already come up in the debate. In Donegal, there are 3,150 households awaiting social housing. A conservative estimate is that 2,400 social homes have been impacted by defective concrete. A proper temporary accommodation plan must be in place before large-scale works begin. The Minister of State knows that. We all know we are in the middle of a housing crisis, so people are competing to try to get a house on top of all that. If a temporary accommodation scheme is introduced, it is important that the local authorities and approved housing bodies keep families in their own communities to protect schools and community involvement and support carers. Tenants need to be given a guarantee that once the remediation work has been done, they can return to their homes.
Consideration should possibly be given to the use of modular homes. There are a lot of modular homes in Donegal for the Ukrainian people who arrived under temporary protection. That could be a consideration if they are no longer in use because people have returned home. It is about funding local authorities and making sure that they have enough resources within them. Local authorities are underfunded as it is. They were forced to act because there was not a dedicated scheme. We must make sure that the money going in is sufficient to meet all of the costs and is ring-fenced, including for personnel. Funding must be multi-annual. Where homes must be demolished and rebuilt, they should be built to modern building and energy efficiency standards.
The scheme is going to place enormous responsibility on Donegal County Council, Sligo County Council, and councils in Mayo, Clare, and all the other counties that have been affected. It is the Minister of State's Department and he knows that they have to be fully resourced with proper oversight. A formal implementation group could be set up involving tenants, approved housing bodies, engineers and elected members from councils. The Department cannot correct its own homework. We must ensure that there will be proper oversight and accountability. Good practice and good governance require accountability.
It is great that the State has responded. The State is the only one that can respond to this. Now that there is a dedicated scheme, the rate needs to be upped. The Department can ensure that the local authorities are resourced.
The defective concrete blocks social homes scheme 2026 represents a long overdue acknowledgment of a real injustice to families. Last week, members of a group representing Donegal crèches and childcare facilities held an excellent event in Buswells about the need for childcare in Donegal and in rural communities. There are more than 25 childcare facilities in Donegal - the ones we know of - impacted by defective concrete. My two wee girls go to the local crèche in Ardara. The children's biggest worry is that the crèche is going to fall down. We all had conversations with our children about the defective concrete in it. Billie and Lacey always ask me about when the crèche is going to be knocked. The kids are constantly worried about the crèche. It is a great facility that holds 40-odd children. The women work brilliantly with the children. It is the heart of the community in Ardara, especially for working parents. President Connolly came to visit the crèche in February. Deputy Charlie Ward and his county councillors have been to the crèche in Ardara. I do not know all the ins and outs of the 25 crèches. I am only speaking to the one that I know best. Genuinely, those childcare workers are plastering that building together themselves nearly every week. That is unsafe.
Today, I invite the Minister of State to take a trip to the crèche in Ardara to see for himself the level of danger. The children are safe. It is not going to fall down overnight - I hope not anyway - but he needs to come down and see it with his own eyes.
When we talk about the redress schemes, in my opinion, what is being done is that the people who bought their homes are getting the redress scheme, and rightly so. Deputy Ward and the county councillors worked very hard on redress. There is no redress for social housing and Traveller accommodation in Donegal, crèches and some of the schools.
What is the Department going to do with the education facilities that are impacted by mica? If this was in Dublin, it would be seen as a crisis. Since it is rural Donegal, it is not seen as a crisis. We have got a housing crisis not only in Dublin but in Donegal, too. Social housing and council housing in Donegal did not even get a proper look in when it came to redress, and some of the Traveller accommodation in Donegal is impacted by mica as well.
Of course, they are not included in the redress scheme. I look forward to some of the Minister of State’s feedback around social housing, the Traveller accommodation and, most importantly right now for me as a working mother, the safety of my children and other children in the crèche in Ardara. I would really love for the Minister of State to come and visit the crèche and see with his own two eyes. If he could accept that invitation, it would be a step forward for the childcare workers in Donegal. There are 25 crèches. We are coming together in a few weeks - I hope before Christmas - to come up with a solution and see what we can do collectively in getting new buildings, etc., for facilities because we do not want to lose the crèche in our local community. It would be brilliant if the Minister of State could take up the invitation and work with us going forward on a good redress scheme that includes everybody.
I will start by acknowledging the Minister of State's dad, who was in the Gallery. I had the pleasure of serving with him back in the noughties in the Lower House. I am delighted to see him here and looking so well.
The Minister of State is very welcome. It is great that we are getting another further step along the road to dealing with the whole defective concrete block issue. Like colleagues, I also welcome Deputy Ward to the Gallery. In fairness, Deputy Ward and I were two who certainly shared our views, whether we liked each other's view or not over the years. We fought very hard in relation to this. It is great now to be getting to some of the stages we are getting. That is not to say that everything is perfect. I want to outline some of the issues I feel still need to be addressed.
I would like to say on the floor that today is a very welcome occasion. I am delighted that we are here now at this point where councils can start work in dealing with their own stock. Who is more equipped than the councils to deal with their stock? They know exactly what is involved. With Donegal being the epicentre of this defective block crisis, I have full confidence in Donegal County Council to handle the situation in Donegal. The council is saying that something like around 1,000 of its units are affected by mica. I look forward to it now getting on with the job. However, I would like there to be a stipulation put in that it is not just all about housing schemes. Some people are living in council houses that are more often than not referred to as SI houses or specific instance cottages that were built in different parts of rural Ireland. Those applicants must be given the same affordability to the scheme now and not be left until the very end. Some of these people are elderly and some are not in great health. I want to see all this move in tandem and not have anybody left behind. It was great to see the Minister make the moves before the summer in relation to building side by side. It is great that some families who are dealing with loved ones in very compromised health conditions can now get on with their house and have a new house built alongside the existing house. That was a very welcome move.
I want to address in the small time that is left to me a number of issues as I see them. I think if Deputy Ward, who is in the Gallery behind me, had the chance to speak on this, he would do so in the same vein. On houses that have been sent to the board of appeal, can we get assurance from the Department that the regulations within the new IS 465:2026 are applied to the appeals? Some of the houses that were appealed a number of years ago may have been tested under a different regime. For instance, they may not have had their inner walls tested. However, decisions could be made on them based on old testings which would not be accurate and would not be right. I want to ensure that any testing that is done is in compliance with the current regulation and that the proper outcomes are secured.
There is also a difficulty in Donegal with the market in that anybody going to sell their house now nearly has to go as far as testing the house to prove it has not got mica, and that is wrong. There was a similar incidence of this in Cardiff quite a number of decades ago. They overcame it by using the engineering expertise whereby an engineer is employed for the visual inspection of the house, and with a visual inspection and the test results, certain ratings are given to houses. At the minute, there are questions over the mortgageability and insurability of these houses. It needs an intervention by the Department of housing to ensure there is a process whereby not everybody has to run through a two-year process to sell a house. It really is impacting the market. I would like the Department to seriously have a look at it and come up with a solution to it.
I, too, am aware of the crèche in Ardara which the Senator just raised. Councillor Anthony Molloy has raised it with us at meetings in the past. There are maybe 15 schools in total in Donegal where there are problems at which the Minister for education is looking at the minute with a view to addressing those. That is very welcome. Crèches need to be the same. There are many other commercial buildings, etc., that we still need to address. The Senator raised an issue with Traveller accommodation. If that is the case, that is concerning and needs to be addressed by Donegal County Council. If there is Traveller accommodation that is in difficulty with defective materials, that needs to be included in any council scheme or otherwise.
I thank the Minister of State again for this today. It is very welcome.
I join Senator Blaney because I know how vocal he has been on this. I have been honoured to accompany him to a lot of parliamentary party meetings where he has raised this so actively. Similar to the Senator, I extend a welcome to Deputy Ward, who has lived this and experienced it. This has been his life, essentially, for a good number of years. We can see that when he contributes to the Dáil debates. I have also noticed that when this issue comes up in the Dáil, he stays from start to finish and, even a step further, he stays from the start to the finish of the Seanad debate as well. That has to be acknowledged in terms of how important it is to him.
I thank all the Senators for their contributions to this debate. The defective concrete block social homes scheme represents another significant step in the Government's response to the issues faced by communities affected by defective concrete blocks. It complements the supports already available to private homeowners and extends assistance to the social housing sector in ensuring a consistent and equitable approach across all affected housing tenures. Significant funding has been provided to homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks. More than €405 million has been paid out under the scheme to date. Government funding will continue to be made available annually to meet demand. In 2026, a record €175 million has been allocated to the scheme, more than double the amount provided in the previous year. The substantial increase reflects the growing uptake of the scheme and the Government's continued commitment to support affected homeowners.
I am conscious that local authorities have been preparing for some time, with the assistance of the Department, for what will mark the beginning of an important new phase in the defective concrete blocks remediation scheme. Their engagement and preparedness will be critical to the successful roll-out of the scheme. I understand that some of the affected local authorities have already identified a number of specific homes in their housing stock where remediation can begin once the scheme is signed by Government, allowing procurement to move ahead at pace. The initial cohort of homes will progress to remediation as soon as possible. It will enable the sector to build experience and refine its approach, ensuring the process is managed in the most effective manner possible and, above all, in the best interests of the tenants.
I am well aware of the broader social and community impact of the defective concrete block, DCB, issue. The Government will continue to respond in a practical and effective way to help deliver solutions for individual residents that will also help the wider community. The scheme will ensure tenants living in affected social homes can benefit from the same commitment to remediation that has been provided to private homeowners. It reflects the Government's commitment that no affected household should be left behind and that those living in social housing receive the support they need in an important step in protecting our social housing stock, supporting tenants and ensuring communities can continue to grow and develop in the future.
Today's debate has highlighted the strong consensus on the importance of progressing this matter and delivering the necessary supports and investments. We remain committed to supporting those affected and continue our work to deliver practical and effective solutions. We will continue to work closely with local authorities and stakeholders to ensure affected social homes are remediated and that tenants are supported throughout the process.
As I said, this will include working to ensure that all available State funding is used in as efficient a manner as possible and directing support from my Department for staffing resources, where necessary.
The development of the scheme has been informed by a close collaboration with the designated local authority, the Irish Council for Social Housing and a range of approved housing bodies. Their expertise and experience have been instrumental in shaping the scheme for those designated local authorities. It should be noted that although the Housing Agency does not have a technical role in the social homes scheme, determinations relating to the required remediation option will be made in the same way. A competent building professional will consider the damage and make a decision on the new standard IS 465.
Today, we have an opportunity to take a practical and positive step forward. By supporting this motion, the House can send a clear message that we are committed to introducing a scheme to support the remediation of these homes that have been affected by defective concrete blocks, thereby ensuring that tenants are protected and that the housing stock is restored to a safe and sustainable standard.
I wish to comment on some of the contributions from the Senators. It is important that they took the time to contribute. Senator Flaherty spoke on tenant purchase. It is an important issue, so I am glad he brought it up. It is certainly something that, as a Department, we need to look at in order to give people that option. It is available to most people who are not living in a house that is impacted. The Senator has raised a very important issue.
Senator Flaherty also raised the issue of resourcing local authorities, as others did. That is something we are committed to doing to ensure that the local authorities are resourced. In a similar vein, Senator Boyhan talked about engagement with local authorities. This is already happening at quite a large scale, but where local authorities seek more support and information, the Department will not be found wanting.
Senator Duffy is right to point out that this is not just a house, and that the language we use is very important. These are people’s homes and, therefore, we know how emotive this is. People in Mayo have experienced this as well. That is not lost on us.
I thank Senator Collins for highlighting the opposition, but Sinn Féin will not oppose this. That is very important, and it shows that we can work together. Regarding one of the points made by Senator Collins, local authorities will be obliged to accommodate those whose houses are being remediated. That is there, and they will be resourced to do so, which is very important. The uptake has been very strong. I know the Senator said that people were dissuaded from availing of it, but 604 houses have been done to date and there are another 790-odd in the pipeline. Therefore, we are getting there in terms of trying to get to as many houses as possible.
Senator Cosgrove made various points. I want to point out that this is not a closed deal. We are not drawing a line under this and walking away. We will always be reviewing these schemes as we go forward.
Senator Flynn is concerned about the childcare facilities. We would like to get more information on that. Senator Blaney also raised the point. This is a really important issue. These are our youngest, and this is the most important part of education, so we must be sure it is done in a safe manner.
The Traveller accommodation issue was also raised by Senator Flynn. Again, Donegal County Council needs to identify the social houses that it feels need to be addressed in this element of the remediation. That is something we would like to work with it on.
I again thank Senators for their contributions. This is a very important commitment by the Government. People have been through hell, whether they live in private homes or social homes. We are now getting to a stage where we are starting to release that pressure valve and give people a bit of hope that, at the end of this process, they can once again live in safe, secure, high-standard, quality homes. That is exactly what the Minister, Deputy Browne, and all in the Department want.
Question put and agreed to.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 3.24 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 4 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 3.24 p.m. and resumed at 4 p.m.