Housing Minister James Browne has said the government is considering the deliver of the 10% cap increase to all defective block homeowners, but legal advice has confirmed legislation needs to be changed.
He was answering a written Dail question from Donegal TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, who says this must be progressed without delay.
Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn is calling on the government to “stop dragging their heels” and to urgently deliver the 10% increase in the cap for the Defective Concrete Block Grant Scheme to all homeowners who are currently remediating their homes under the scheme.
He says the government said they would do so, but there’s been no progress, even through he appealed to the previous government to introduce the amendment to the 2022 legislation last Autumn.
In response to a recent parliamentary question, Minister Browne says his Department is currently progressing this matter, but Deputy MacLochlainn says there is a complete lack of urgency being shown
He says the Minister and his government must know that most homeowners are having to source tens of thousands of euros to make up the real cost of remediation and that this cap increase is vital to their ability to rebuild or remediate their homes.
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Question and answer in full –
Question Number(s): 601 Question Reference(s): 2780/25
Department: Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Asked by: Pádraig Mac Lochlainn T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage when he will bring forward an amendment to the Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, allowing the increase in the cap to be applied retrospectively to homeowners already participating in the defective concrete block grant scheme.
REPLY
The 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.
A review mechanism is provided within the Act, which provides for an increase or decrease the overall grant scheme cap a year after the Act has been commenced by no more than 10%, in accordance with the conditions of Section 11 of the Act.
Following updated cost reports from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) and advice from the Expert Group established to consider the matter, a further increase was provided for on 23 October 2024 through S.I. 577 of 2024. The Scheme Cap has risen by 10% to €462,000. An increase in the scheme grant rates of between 7.4% and 8.7% that are set out in the 2023 Regulations was also approved on 7 November 2024. (S.I. No. 621 of 2024).
The Act provides that any increase in the scheme cap or grant rates will apply to eligible relevant owners that are yet to receive a determination in respect of remediation option and grant amount. My Department sought legal advice that confirmed that extending these increases to a wider group of relevant owners requires amending the Act. My Department is currently progressing this matter.
