“This was negligence,” Mayo TD says in defective concrete blocks debate
Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh backs motion demanding State responsibility for uncertain house foundations under new defective concrete standard
Thousands of homeowners affected by the defective concrete crisis should not be left carrying the long-term risk of foundation failures where scientific uncertainty remains, the Dáil heard during a debate yesterday (Wednesday, June 24).
Deputy Charles Wardon brought forward a Private Members’ motion The motion, calling for the State to assume responsibility for any residual risks associated with retaining foundations in homes affected by defective concrete blocks under the recently updated Irish Standard (IS 465:2026).
Mayo TD Rose Conway-Walsh said the Government had failed to listen to affected families since the issue first emerged on the Erris peninsula more than a decade ago.
“Since we started this nearly 12 years ago – or more than that – on the Erris peninsula in Mayo, the Government has not listened,” she told the Dáil. “This was negligence of Government; it was a lack of regulation.”
She argued that if homeowners’ concerns had been addressed earlier, a full 100% redress scheme would already be in place and many families would have had their homes and lives rebuilt.
During the debate, Deputy Conway-Walsh referred to research presented to Oireachtas members by Dr Chris Brough and Professor Paul Dunlop of Ulster University. She said estimates presented by the researchers suggested remediation costs could reach €462,000 per property across as many as 20,000 affected homes, potentially resulting in a total bill exceeding €9.2 billion.
The motion focuses on one of the most contentious aspects of the remediation scheme: whether existing foundations in affected homes should be retained or replaced.
The Sinn Féin TD repeated longstanding concerns that foundations must be fully tested before engineers can confidently certify properties.
“For God’s sake, Engineering Ireland has told the Government that. It cannot sign off on properties where the foundations have not been replaced,” she said.
The Mayo TD further insisted on the financial burden facing affected homeowners, claiming some families are being asked to bridge funding gaps of up to €100,000 despite being victims of what she described as failures in regulation and oversight.
Responding on behalf of the Government, Minister of State John Cummins acknowledged the “real hurt and anger” experienced by homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks and reiterated the Government’s commitment to supporting them.
He confirmed that a statutory review of the defective concrete legislation would commence following publication of IS 465:2026.
Minister Cummins said the Government had increased the maximum grant available under the scheme to €462,000.
According to the Government, more than 3,500 homeowners are currently at various stages within the defective concrete blocks grant scheme, while over 500 homes have been remediated, and a further 750 are undergoing construction works.
Opposition TDs maintained that significant questions remain regarding foundations and the long-term implications of retaining them where evidence of sulphide-related deterioration has been identified.
The motion argues that where uncertainty remains, the burden should rest with the State rather than homeowners who have already endured years of disruption through no fault of their own.