John Cummins: Government will act on IS465 and support homeowners

Thank you, Cathaoirleach, and I want to, at the outset, thank deputies, all deputies, for their contributions here this morning and for their genuine advocacy and work in this space. I do recognise the real hurt and anger of homeowners right across the country that have been impacted by legacy defects as a result of defective concrete blocks, and I want to put that on record at the outset. As Minister of State O'Sullivan and Minister Brown have said previously, government is committed to assisting homeowners that have been impacted by defective concrete blocks. We have provided, obviously, significant funding to the scheme and we will continue to do so, and we've also kept the scheme under review and made changes to it as and when was required to try and assist more homeowners. The statutory obligation placed on government by the 2022 Act, arising from the publication of the new IS465-2026 standard, will now be actioned as soon as possible and a review of the Act will be underway shortly. Importantly, the very large number of homeowners who have already received a determination and grant amount can continue on with their works. The current Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks grant scheme has been open for applications now since 2023. The government put it in place to assist homeowners to remediate damage caused by the use of defective concrete blocks. Notwithstanding that the current grant scheme contains improvements over the previous scheme, the government has been mindful that the scheme requires monitoring and when changes are needed, they have been actioned. When it was recognised that construction inflation was presenting difficulties for homeowners, an increase in the grant scheme cap and rates was legislated for. This brought the overall scheme cap from £420,000 to a maximum of £462,000, along with an increase in the associated grant rates. The government is committed to funding all eligible expenditure under the scheme. Originally, the estimated cost was more than €2.2 billion, excluding inflation, with an estimated 7,500 households impacted. I do note the comments from deputies here as to the scale of the challenge that is ahead, and a review of the numbers is ongoing with the local authority sector, as is the impact of the new standard IS465. Furthermore, the changes that the standard might necessitate to the scheme could also, of course, add further cost to the scheme. Deputies will appreciate, therefore, that the approach now being taken by government to review the Act is a logical one. The publication of the revised IS465 is the culmination of years of work in a complex and sensitive area that has real meaning and importance to thousands of households in many parts of Ireland. This government is mindful of the very real concerns and worries of affected homeowners who deserve the chance to be helped to fix their homes and to move on with their lives as much as possible. As Minister O'Sullivan has said, the Department, in partnership with the local authority sector and the Housing Agency, will update homeowners in the near future in as clear and comprehensive a way as possible regarding what this new standard might mean for them. From listening to the debate here today, it is clear that one of the primary focuses of the debate is to address the issue of foundations. While the focus on foundations is absolutely understandable, the Department communication will address a wider suite of issues raised in recent weeks since the publication of the IS465 also. Notwithstanding some of the genuinely articulated personal cases that have been highlighted by deputies today, it is important to point out that the scheme is working for many. As of today, there are over 3,500 homeowners at various stages of the grand scheme. Over 500 homes have been remediated, with another 750 currently at various stages of construction, having notified their relevant designated authority of commencement. The Government realised at an early stage that homes affected by defective concrete blocks may not be limited to Donegal, Mayo, Clare and Limerick, and the 2022 Act provides a pathway for additional local authorities to seek designation under the grand scheme. Since 2023, Sligo and parts of Fingal and Wexford County Council have been designated under the grand scheme. As Minister O'Sullivan pointed out earlier, parts of Meade County Council and Carlow County Council will shortly be designated under the grand scheme, and I'm sure this will be welcome news for householders in those areas that have homes impacted by defective concrete blocks. At the end of 2025, Minister Brown brought forward a very important piece of legislation, the 2025 Defective Concrete Block Amendment Act. This Act contains numerous beneficial changes for homeowners in the grand scheme. Minister Brown has operationalised the majority of this Act in February and June of this year. These regulations provided for additional funding to homeowners that were previously unable to avail of the uplift in the scheme cap and rates, which was a particularly important issue for many. Crucially, the regulations also provided for homeowners that either themselves or members of their family live in a home affected by defective concrete blocks, which has been adapted for the needs of the resident living there. Minister Brown is aware that since the publication of the new standard, homeowners either already in the grand scheme or intending to apply to the scheme will have questions on what this new standard means for them. I would like to emphasise that homeowners already in the scheme and undertaking works can continue. Grant payments will continue to be made by local authorities so homeowners can complete their works. As some members will be aware, officials in my department met with the Implementation Steering Group members last week to provide an update regarding the scheme and the new standard, noting that the department will issue guidance for local authorities and the Housing Agency around various category applicants to the scheme. At this meeting, members were brought up to speed on the review process and what it will entail. The group includes officials from the designated local authorities, the Housing Agency and the Homeowner Liaison Officer, all of which can assist homeowners with their queries. The department met again yesterday with the group with a focus on how best to keep homeowners informed of ongoing developments in a timely manner. Allowing this review to be undertaken and completed will be key to the success of the grand scheme. The 2022 Act, as set down by the Oireachtas, clearly identified the need for this review. The review will focus, as per the provisions of Section 51 of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, on the operation of the Act in the first instance and all matters relating to the introduction of the IS465 and its interaction with the grand scheme will be considered as part of the review. On completion, Minister Brown will make recommendations to government on any proposed changes to the defective concrete block scheme. Ensuring homeowners are treated fairly under the grand scheme has and will continue to be the focus of government. I know Minister Brown is well aware of the urgency of the review and I know that both he and his officials are working hard to ensure that it is prioritised in a timely fashion. But just to circle back to the outset of what I said, I totally understand and appreciate the impact that defective concrete blocks has had for homeowners that have been impacted. The very real stories that have been articulated by members of this House are real. Of that, there is no question. I do want to acknowledge everybody for their advocacy and work in this space. Thank you.