merrion street

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, was in Buncrana today (6 August 2020) to officially launch the new Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme. The scheme will assist homeowners whose dwellings are affected by Mica and Pyrite in Counties Donegal and Mayo.

Speaking at the launch Minister O’Brien said

I am glad that this new scheme is up and running and that we are starting the process of helping the many families who have been affected by the issue of defective concrete blocks. I understand this has been a long and difficult journey and overcoming this issue is a major challenge. I believe what the Government has put in place will meet that challenge and resolve it once and for all.

The Government has provided €20 million for the scheme in 2020, and it will be administered by Donegal and Mayo County Councils. Details of the scheme are available on their respective websites. The scheme went live in both local authority areas at the end of June.

The scheme offers five remedial options, and separate grant limits apply to each option ranging from €247,500 for the complete demolition and rebuild of the dwelling, to €49,500 for the demolition and rebuild of the outer leaf of affected walls only. The funding is subject to the option limits or 90% of the eligible works, whichever is the lesser.

The Minister thanked all those involved in getting this scheme up and running, the members of the Expert Panel, National Standards Authority of Ireland, Engineers Ireland, individual home owners and their Home Owners’ Associations, Local Government Officials, and Officials in various Government Departments and Agencies.

Minister O’Brien continued,

The scheme will be of major benefit to homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks, and I urge them to get their applications in as soon as possible. It is important that we get this matter resolved once and for all,

he concluded.