Works underway to repair 784 homes, as Minister McConalogue hails ‘significant progress’

Inishowen Minister of State Charlie McConalogue says “significant progress” has been made in the rebuilding of houses in Donegal since the new Enhanced Defective Concrete Block Scheme was introduced in July 2023.

Speaking in the Dáil during the second stage debate on the Defective Concrete Amendment Bill, the Minister of State for Sport and Postal Policy said: “Progress since the introduction of the new scheme has been significant. In Donegal, 784 homes have commenced works, with 205 now fully remediated and 579 currently under construction, while a total of 1,328 grants have been approved.”

“The current scheme, introduced in the summer of 2023, was a massive departure from the previous scheme, which was totally inadequate, being capped at a maximum grant rate of €247,000 and not providing funding for storage, rent, or SEAI energy upgrades. The new legislation will strengthen the existing scheme and deliver important amendments for homeowners in Donegal.”

The Amendment Bill introduces updates, including the following.

Retrospective application of Increased Grant Support: The maximum grant for new applicants was increased by 10% in October 2024 from €420,000 to €462,000, while square-foot rates increased by approximately 8%. The new legislation applies the increased rates retrospectively to homeowners who had already received their grant approvals before the increases were introduced.

Extended Build Timelines: Homeowners will now have 130 weeks to complete works, up from 65 weeks, and the notice period for extensions will reduce from 12 weeks to just two.

Technical Reviews for Partial Demolitions: Owners who previously received options 2–5 will be able to request a review under the updated IS465 standards once finalised by the National Standards Authority of Ireland.

Expanded Eligibility: Individuals who were married to, cohabiting with, or in civil partnership with the relevant owner at the time of the original legislation, and who remain living in the property, will now qualify for remediation.

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Minister McConalogue says the Bill also addresses “practical challenges, allowing two semi-detached homes to be remediated simultaneously and paves the way for side-by-side builds for families with medical needs.”

He added: “While these steps represent real progress, challenges remain. We need to see the remediation scheme for social housing introduced immediately, and the delay in the processing of appeals must be addressed. It is also important that we see the new IS465 standard introduced as soon as possible, as it has taken too long and is urgently awaited."

Minister McConalogue also criticised the delay in the amendment legislation coming before the Dail.

“I worked hard as a Cabinet Minister to get Government agreement in October 2024 for the increase in grant rates to apply retrospectively, and it is disappointing that it has taken until now for the enabling legislation to be brought before the Oireachtas,” he commented.

Concluding his speech in the Dáil, Minister McConalogue said: "I will continue to work within Government to build on the progress that we have seen so far and to have remaining challenges addressed."