The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) commenced on 22 June 2023 which contains the current grant scheme and the related Regulations were adopted on 29 June 2023.
The grant scheme covers the costs of the remediation works approved subject to the grant rates and overall grant cap of €462,000. The cap and rates are informed by cost reports produced by the SCSI and work undertaken by the Expert Group in determining appropriate grant rates for the scheme and included within these rates are professional fees a homeowner may incur in remediating their dwelling. As these costs are included within the grant rates there is no requirement for a separate grant.
I received Government approval for the priority drafting of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill which includes details of the wider group of relevant owners that can avail of increases in the grant scheme cap and rates approved in October and November 2024. The Bill will contain other technical amendments to ensure the continued smooth operation of the grant scheme for homeowners .
Provision for ancillary grants being alternative accommodation costs, storage costs and immediate repair works to a maximum value of €27,500 are provided for within the overall grant scheme cap. The forthcoming Bill that is included in the Autumn 2025 Government Legislation Programme for Priority Publication will examine the procedures for these ancillary grants.
Section 51 of the Act mandates that I commence a review of the operation of the Act by June 2026 (three years after the Act's commencement) and make a report to each House of the Oireachtas regarding the findings and conclusions of such a review within a further 12 month period.
Furthermore, a review of the operation of the Act is required within three months of the completion of any review of I.S. 465:2018 by the National Standards Authority of Ireland. A report to each House of the Oireachtas of the findings and conclusions resulting from that review is required not later than three months after the completion of the review.
