MacLochlainn wants urgent remediation scheme increase to all homeowners

Donegal TD Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has called on the Government 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.

After raising the issue through a parliamentary question to the Minister for Housing; Local Government and Heritage,  Deputy Mac Lochlainn said the Government should “stop dragging their heels”.

"The government has confirmed that they will apply this 10% increase in the cap to all of the homeowners currently remediating their homes and not just to new applicants to the scheme, but we are still waiting. I appealed to the last government to introduce the amendment to the 2022 legislation so that this could happen as far back as last Autumn, and they refused to do so.

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The Sinn Féin TD had asked housing minister James Browne when he would 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 scheme.

In response to a recent parliamentary question, the new Minister for Housing, James Browne said the scheme’s 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,” he said.

“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.”

In response, Deputy Mac Lochlainn  said: “There is a complete lack of urgency here when 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. 

“I am 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.”