Eoin Ó Broin
Question:240. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the interim fire safety remediation scheme for buildings with celtic tiger era defects. [27729/26]
View answerThursday, 16 April 2026
Questions (240, 241, 242)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:241. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the pilot scheme for retrospective payments for OMCs who have undertaken remediation of celtic tiger era building defects. [27730/26]
View answerEoin Ó Broin
Question:242. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when the legislation for the remediation scheme for buildings with celtic tiger era defects will be published. [27731/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 240, 241 and 242 together.
Government approval was received on 18 September 2024 for the priority drafting of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill. The purpose of this legislation is to place the defects remediation Scheme on a statutory footing, further to commitments contained in the Programme for Government and Housing for All.
The Scheme will provide supports for the remediation of relevant fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. It is envisaged that 100% of eligible remediation costs will be funded under the Scheme.
The General Scheme of the Bill has undergone pre-legislative scrutiny and I received the Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee in January. I expect the statutory scheme to be in place this year.
An Interim Remediation Scheme (Scheme) has been in place since December 2023, to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings pending introduction of the Statutory Scheme and completion of the full remedial works. The Scheme is for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013. The Scheme is being administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis. Applications can be made via the Housing Agency’s website at www.housingagency.ie
As of the end of March 2026, 256 applications to the Interim Remediation Scheme have been validated, having met the required eligibility criteria. These applications represent 22,212 residential units, with circa 74% in the Dublin region.
Three of the four pathfinder projects have been approved for funding, in the amount of €21.3million and remediation works have commenced at one project location. Payments in the amount of €3 million have been made to date. Payments will continue to be made for remediation works, where commenced and certified.
In February 2026, the Government announced significant changes to the Scheme.
These changes will simplify procurement and cut through administrative hurdles, allowing works relating to fire detection and alarm systems to be completed more quickly while ensuring residents can remain safely in their homes until full building remediation is finished. The remediation process will prioritise the installation of fire detection and alarm systems ahead of full building remedial works which will follow under the upcoming statutory scheme.
The Government is committed to consideration of remediation costs already incurred as part of the drafting of the Bill. Remediation costs already incurred or levied prior to the introduction of the statutory scheme will be covered, once such costs fall within the scope and defined parameters of the Scheme.
On 22 October 2024 the Government agreed the establishment of a Retrospective Costs Pathfinder Exercise from a representative sample of eight multi-unit developments, in order to identify and develop a potential appropriate process to address retrospective issues, based on fire safety remedial works completed.
The Housing Agency received a large volume of documentation from the respective Owner Management Companies (OMCs) which is being used to help identify an appropriate process to address retrospective issues more broadly. In particular, the Pathfinder Exercise will support development of a robust process around:
• Alignment with the existing Interim Remediation Scheme processes;
• Supporting Documentation and Timeframes;
• Certification and Standardisation of Evidence;
• Verification and Payment processes.
The Retrospective Costs Pathfinder Exercise is now complete and I will soon return to Government to update on the outcomes of the exercise and seek approval on a number of policy decisions on Retrospective Grant Payments.
Question No. 241 answered with Question No. 240.
Question No. 242 answered with Question No. 240.