The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 which underpins the enhanced Defective Concrete Block Scheme was commenced in June 2023.
The Scheme is currently open to applications in five counties, namely Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo.
An order for the inclusion of a local authority in the enhanced DCB Grant Scheme may only be made by an Order of the Government.
I have recently received Government approval for the designation of parts of the administrative area of Fingal County Council under the scheme. I am now in the process of arranging for the moving of a motion for a Resolution in each House of the Oireachtas and subject to the passing of such a Resolution I will then request the Government to make the Order.
Accordingly, I expect that the designation process to allow for the inclusion of parts of the administrative area of Fingal County Council in the scheme will be finalised shortly.
The detailed operation of the Scheme is a matter for the designated local authorities and the Housing Agency in the first instance. Their respective roles are set out clearly in the 2022 Act.
Local authorities have responsibility for the administration of the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme. This includes the initial validation of applications, notifying homeowners of the Housing Agency's determinations on damage threshold, the appropriate remediation option and grant amount, determination of the grant payable for alternative accommodation and storage costs and immediate repair works and the subsequent payment of grants to successful applicants. Any query a homeowner has relating to an application to the scheme should be addressed to their local authority, Fingal County Council, in this instance.
Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) is a complex issue which the Government is addressing by allocating a significant amount of money to affected homeowners to enable them to rebuild their homes and get on with their lives. The overall cost of the scheme is expected to be in excess of €2.2 billion (excluding inflation). The Government is making sure that the Scheme is designed and delivered in a manner that meets the needs of homeowners in an efficient and effective manner.
