Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2025
548. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of appeals made under the remediation of dwellings damaged by the use of defective concrete blocks grant scheme have been processed to completion in 2025; the number of appeals which remain active; the average turn-around time of appeals nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51272/25]
View answerThe Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) was commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023.
An Appeals Panel has been established to assess appeals made under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the use of Defective Concrete (DCB) Blocks Grant Scheme. The Panel offers those affected by decisions made by the Housing Agency and Local Authorities an opportunity to have their cases assessed by an independent group of industry experts.
The points of appeal that are available to a DCB applicant include the validation stage by the local authority, the damage threshold determination made by the Housing Agency, the remediation option, and the grant amount approved and where a local authority refuse to make a grant payment pursuant to grant approval.
The Panel will review the merits of each individual case and consider all details free from any undue influence or restrictions. At the time of writing 176 appeals have been received from homeowners.
It should be noted that the Appeals Panel is statutorily independent in the performance of their functions of myself as Minister, my Department and of the Housing Agency. My Department provides limited administrative support during the initial stage of the process, in that appeals submitted by homeowners are forwarded to the Panel.
However, I understand that the Panel is in the process of assessing appeals and the Chair of the Appeals Panel has begun to issue notifications to appellants.
