Mayo TDs welcome key amendments to the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme

Mayo TD Keira Keogh has welcomed proposed legislative amendments to the Remediation of Dwellings damaged by the use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022, which aim to bring greater fairness and flexibility to the current Defective Concrete Blocks (DCB) Grant Scheme. The amendments, included in the General Scheme of the new Bill, respond to challenges faced by homeowners in Mayo and other impacted counties.

“These changes reflect what we’ve been hearing on the ground – that rising costs, rigid rules, and unforeseen circumstances have left some families behind. I’ve been fighting to make this scheme fairer, and I’m glad to see real progress,” said Deputy Keogh.

Minister Dara Calleary has also welcomed government agreement to allow for retrospective payments under the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme.

“I am very happy to confirm that Cabinet has agreed for legislation to now be prioritised to ensure homeowners that have incurred eligible scheme costs since March 29, 2024, can benefit from the increased grant amounts announced late last year.”

The proposed amendments include:

      1. Retrospective increase in the grant cap to €462,000 for all scheme applicants with eligible costs since March 29, 2024, following the 2024 rate review.

      2. New-build support in exceptional cases where families with specific vulnerabilities need to construct a new home adjacent to the original.

      3. Extended timelines to give applicants more time to complete remediation works.

      4. More flexible ownership rules in specific circumstances, allowing for changes in relevant owner beyond just the death of an applicant.

      5. Refunds of professional engineering fees paid under the original scheme, ensuring consistency across all applicants.

         6. Access to ancillary grants where an applicant has reached the scheme cap, noting that the overall final payment to a scheme applicant for remediation and ancillary grants cannot exceed the overall scheme cap.

      7. A formal review process by the Housing Agency of certain applications in line with updates to the I.S. 465 standard.

The 2022 Act, operational since June 2023, currently applies to Clare, Donegal, Limerick, Mayo, and Sligo. The maximum grant, originally set at €420,000, was increased by Government Order in October 2024 to €462,000. However, this increase had only applied to applicants who had not yet received a determination. These new amendments seek to fix that gap and apply the increase fairly to those already dealing with escalating construction costs.

Similarly, revised per square metre rates, increased by up to 8.7 percent in November 2024, will now be made available retrospectively to a wider group of homeowners who faced higher costs in 2023 and 2024.

“This Bill is about equity and justice,” said Deputy Keogh. “It recognises the evolving reality of construction costs and the lived experiences of homeowners trying to rebuild their lives. It’s not a full review of the scheme – that’s due by 2026 or earlier if I.S. 465 is revised – but it is a meaningful step in the right direction.”

Deputy Calleary pledged to continue working closely with affected communities and the Department of Housing to ensure that these changes are enacted swiftly and that the scheme works better for all.

“Under the changes, proposed by Minister Browne, eligible homeowners in Mayo and other affected counties will now be entitled to apply for the higher amounts. This is something I have been advocating for and I am pleased to have it moved one step closer.

“Along with details around retrospective payments, the Bill will include several amendments to assist in the improved running of the scheme including:

Side-by-side construction: The proposed changes will provide for the scheme to fund the construction of a new dwelling adjacent to the original defective home in very limited circumstances for specific homeowner families.

Period to complete works is extended: The changes will increase the time allowed to complete remediation works from 65 weeks to 130 weeks and the advance notice period for the extension to this period goes from 12 weeks to 2 weeks,” concluded Deputy Calleary.