Defective Building Materials

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

Questions (411)

Charles Ward

Question:

411. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will introduce a compassionate hardship clause or legislative amendment to the enhanced defective concrete blocks grant scheme to accommodate families who have inherited a defective property from a relative who was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and subsequently passed away before they were medically or physically able to apply for the scheme; if he acknowledges that the strict "principal private residence" criteria currently forces grieving families to watch their deceased relatives' homes fall to rubble without any access to redress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46847/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 as amended by the Act of 2025 underpins the Grant Scheme which provides grant funding to people whose homes have been affected by Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB).

Section 9 of the 2022 Act defines a relevant owner as an individual who owns, whether jointly or not, a relevant dwelling and:

• became an owner of the dwelling prior to 31 January 2020,

• inherited the dwelling on or after 31 January 2020, or

• subject to Section 9(4) of the Act, purchased the dwelling on or after 31 January 2020.

The relevant owner under the Act must either use the relevant dwelling as his or her principal private residence or else was the landlord of a tenancy of the dwelling which stood registered in the residential tenancies register on or before 1 November 2021.

I currently have no plans to amend these conditions as set down by the Oireachtas.