‘Positive progress’ on implementation of enhanced defective blocks scheme

Donegal County Council has said there has been ‘positive progress’ on the implementation of the enhanced defective blocks remediation scheme,  which it is administering on behalf of the housing department. 

The speed of transitioning homeowners onto the enhanced scheme was described earlier in the week by agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue “too slow”. 

The Donegal TD had asked the council’s defective blocks committee to meet and “ensure that the necessary steps are taken to expedite all returned applications”.  

In an update issued following a meeting of the council’s defective concrete blocks committee, the local authority said that as well as receiving new applications under the enhanced scheme, there is a requirement for almost 1,300 applications made under the previous scheme to transition to the new scheme. 

Of the 1,296 applications received under the previous scheme,  849 applications have received approval. The council said it has contacted all homeowners who had been approved to outline what information was required. Some 84 applicants have returned the information.

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The council said it anticipates that homeowners who have submitted the information to date will receive formal notification of their remediation option grant under the enhanced scheme within the next two weeks.

The remaining valid applications made under the previous scheme have been referred to the Housing  Agency for engineering and technical assessment to decide whether each house meets the damage threshold under the terms of the enhanced scheme. 

Some 231 cases have now been received from the Housing Agency and the council said it is informing homeowners of the Housing Agency’s determination.

Fifty new applications have been received under the enhanced scheme and eight have been deemed valid and are in the process of being referred to the Housing Agency,  the council said.

The remaining 42 applications received are incomplete and  the council has contacted each homeowner to explain what information is missing.

The council says it has paid out €15.6 million under the DCB Scheme, with almost €1.3 million paid out in July and August.  

A council spokesperson said that “given the volume of applications involved, the transitioning of applications from the previous scheme to the enhanced scheme is a significant task, and will take some time”. 

“However, this is now starting to gain momentum, and it is expected that around 350 homeowners  will get progress and clarity in relation to their application within the next few weeks. The council is aware that the most important application for each homeowner is their own individual  application, and we appreciate the patience of homeowners who have yet to have their application progressed. 

“We want to reassure homeowners that the staff are working hard to progress each application under the terms of the new scheme. 

“There is certainly light  at the end of the tunnel, and while there is some way to go, there is a sense that this is starting to move  forward, with positive feedback received from a number of homeowners this week.”