Donegal County Council’s Defective Concrete Blocks Committee has confirmed agreement has been reached with the Department of Housing about the inclusion of other deleterious materials in houses with Mica, and the scheme can now move again, particularly in terms of Stage 1 applications.
The council will meet with the Engineer’s Ireland panel of chartered engineers in the coming days, and also review all Stage 1 applications.
All applicants will be written to in the coming fortnight, with some being approved immediately, and others subject to requests for more information.
Cllr Martin McDermott is chair of the committee. Speaking to Highland Radio News this afternoon, he said this is a very important breakthrough…………
The document presented to this afternoons committee meeting can be read here –
Defective Concrete Block Committee Presentation 9.11.22
Release in full –
Press Release
9/11/22
Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme – Stage 1 Applications
Donegal County Council wishes to provide the following update in respect of the administration of
the Defective Concrete Block Grant Scheme, particularly in relation to stage 1 applications.
The processing of such applications was put on hold in December 2021, pending receipt of
Departmental advice and guidance on a range of technical matters. Such matters included the fact
that additional deleterious materials (other than mica and pyrite) were arising within test results
that had been submitted to the Council as part of the application process. In addition, a national
review is underway on the IS465 standard, upon which the current scheme is based. Given the
uncertainty, it has not been possible to make decisions on stage 1 applications without the
additional advice and guidance which is consistent with I.S:465 +A1: 2020.
Following ongoing engagement with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage,
the updated guidance and parameters to be applied by the Council when considering the stage 1
applications, have now been clarified.
Next Steps
In this regard, the following next steps are now being put in place:
• The Council will invite the Engineer’s Ireland panel of chartered engineers involved with
applications to a meeting in order to provide details of the updated parameters and clarifications.
• The Council will commence a review of all the Stage 1 applications which have been on hold, based
on date order when latest information was received.
• The Council will issue a communication to each relevant applicant in relation to likely timeframes,
and potential outcomes. This will happen within the next two weeks.
Expected Outcomes
The following outcomes are expected to arise from the review of applications:
• Some applications will be approved and confirmation of eligibility will be issued to the applicant.
• Where applications cannot be approved, a final request for further information will issue to the
applicant. This will afford the applicant’s chartered engineer an opportunity to provide the necessary
evidence to substantiate the recommended minimum feasible remedial option submitted.
In cases where a final opportunity to submit further information is sought, and received, the
response will be considered, and decisions made as follows:
• Where the required evidence is considered to have been provided by the chartered engineer, the
application will be approved, and confirmation of eligibility will be issued to the applicant.
• Where the required evidence is still not considered to have been provided, the engineers report
will be deemed to be incomplete, the application will be put on hold, and will be assigned to the
Housing Agency for determination when the new Enhanced Scheme commences.
The Council appreciates homeowners continued patience as we now review the affected stage 1
applications.
End.
