Ward urges Minister to reconsider fixed date in Defective Concrete legislation

Deputy Charles Ward has urged the Minister for Housing to reconsider the proposed fixed date of March 29, 2024 in the upcoming Defective Concrete Amendment Bill in the Dáil today.

The proposed changes, which were approved by cabinet last week, would see an extension of the timeframe for completing remediation works from 65 weeks to 130 weeks, and would include an increased scheme cap and updated grant rates to all applicants who have incurred costs since March 29, 2024.

The Donegal Deputy said: ‘It flies in the face of what Minister Darragh O’Brien himself publicly promised, that early movers would not be penalised.’

Deputy Ward stated that only 43 homes were actually completed by the 29 March 2024 and that the vast majority of families have now been unjustly excluded from fair treatment.

The 100% Redress Party TD added that splitting eligibility mid-project is ‘complete madness’, saying: ‘it creates a two-tier system and punishes those who acted quickly, in good faith, often at great personal and financial risk.’ Deputy Ward urged the Minister to reconsider the fixed date and to engage with homeowners, saying: ‘I remain hopeful that together we can create a scheme that is fair and that leaves no one behind.’