The Chief Executive of Donegal County Council says the authority intends to recoup all monies spent to date on social homes affected by defective blocks.
The commitment is contained in John McLaughlin’s response to the Local Government Auditor’s report on the council’s Financial Statement for 2025.
Mr McLaughlin says in March of this year, the Council updated the visual survey of their housing stock, which identified 429 houses where pattern cracking was present on several elevations. Of these 429 houses, 95 were vacant due to the damage caused by defective concrete blocks. The damage was most acute in the Letterkenny and Inishowen Municipal Districts.
Pending formal approval of the Social Homes Scheme circulated by the government in May, he says the Council continues to survey and categorise affected social housing units, with findings recorded in a database updated quarterly. Testing of affected homes is ongoing, with consultants assessing results and recommending appropriate remediation options.
Mr McLaughlin concludes the Council has undertaken essential interim repairs to allow some tenants remain in their homes, and the intention is that these costs will be recouped from the Department under the forthcoming scheme.
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Report extract –
Defective Concrete Blocks
8.1 Council Housing Stock
In March 2026, the Council updated the visual survey of their housing stock
across the five municipal districts. This update identified 429 houses where
pattern cracking was present on several elevations. Of these 429 houses, 95
were vacant due to the damage caused by defective concrete blocks. The
damage is most acute in the Letterkenny and Inishowen Municipal Districts.
The Council informed me that they are waiting on a scheme to remediate their
housing stock.
Chief Executive’s Response
The Council submitted proposals to the Department of Housing, Local
Government & Heritage in October 2021, July 2022, and October 2023
seeking approval to remediate social homes affected by deleterious materials.
Draft regulations were issued in December 2023, and the Council provided
feedback in January 2024. A draft Statutory Instrument, The Defective
Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme, was circulated by the Department in
May 2026 and is currently under review.
Pending formal approval, the Council continues to survey and categorise
affected social housing units, with findings recorded in a database updated
quarterly. Testing of affected homes is ongoing, with consultants assessing
results and recommending appropriate remediation options. This work will
inform the finalisation of design and tender documentation once the scheme is
announced. The publication of the revised Irish Standard, I.S. 465:2026, for
the assessment, testing, and categorisation of damaged buildings
incorporating concrete blocks containing certain deleterious materials, may
require further testing and/or reassessment of results and remediation options,
and this is currently under review.
The Council has undertaken essential interim repairs to allow tenants to
remain in their homes pending the introduction of the scheme. It is intended
that these costs will be recouped from the Department under the forthcoming
scheme.
The Council will continue to engage with the Department to secure approval
for a fully funded scheme and to recoup all costs incurred to date.
