2026-04-21

I am pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the issue of side-by-side housing within the defective concrete blocks remediation scheme, particularly in light of where we now stand with the legislation having been progressed. We had amendments towards the end of last year. We had regulations on the increase from €420,000 to €462,000 and the extension of time to 130 weeks but, lo and behold, there were no regulations to deal with side-by-side buildings. What is that? It is not simply an optional extra, it is an essential support for many families, particularly for those who have a person with a disability who requires specialised equipment within the home. For these householders the prospect of vacating their home during demolition and reconstruction is just not viable. It is necessary to allow them to live in their defective homes and to build a new home side by side and then to transfer the necessary equipment into the new home. Those people could not go down the town and find a house where this equipment could be provided. It is crucial that the scheme is inclusive and reflects the full spectrum of disability, not only physical disability but intellectual disabilities, and also neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD, which can significantly impact a person's ability to cope with disruption, displacement and changes to their environment. For that reason, there must be sufficient flexibility within the regulations that will underpin the scheme. A narrow or overly rigid approach risks excluding families who genuinely need this option. That cannot be allowed to happen. I warn the Minister of State to ensure he speaks with his officials as the regulations are due in a matter of days. Let there be flexibility. The measures must be practical, compassionate and grounded in the lived realities of those they are intended to support. This is now a matter of urgency. This should have been done months ago. A number of families are currently unable to move forward due to the ongoing delays and they remain in limbo. They are facing continued stress, uncertainty and disruption to their daily lives, not to mention the psychological effects of all of this. I acknowledge the ongoing commitment of my local authority, Donegal County Council, and the crucial role it plays in the defective concrete blocks remediation scheme. What is required now is delivery. The signing off of the regulations must be finalised without delay and the legislation must be signed off so families can finally move forward with certainty, security and dignity. These families have waited long enough. What they need now is action.

I thank Deputy Gallagher for raising this issue in the House. He represents a constituency and county that was very badly impacted by defective blocks. He has championed and represented the people in his constituency for many years, fought for the remediation scheme and continuously fought for the side-by-side construction amendment. The good news is that the regulations on side-by-side construction are in the final stages of drafting. We should see the completion of the drafting of the amendments within the coming weeks, after which they can be implemented. As the Deputy is aware, the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill 2025 was initiated in Dáil Éireann on 2 December 2025, passed in both Houses of the Oireachtas and subsequently signed into law by the President, thereby becoming an Act, on 23 December 2025. A number of amendments came into operation on 25 February 2026, with related regulations also adopted on the same date. These changes provided that the increase in the grant scheme cap and rates from October and November 2024 can retrospectively benefit certain homeowners and they extended the period that applicants have for completed work from 65 to 130 weeks, along with reducing the time within which an applicant may apply for an extension from 12 to two weeks. The second set of regulations is currently at an advanced stage of drafting in relation to additional scheme improvements contained in the 2025 Act. These include the amendment that provides for an application for an adjacent remediation option in particular circumstances. Those are the ones Deputy Gallagher outlined so well. It became apparent that certain relevant owners who had received an option 1 demolition determination from the Housing Agency and who previously had their homes specifically adapted for use by persons with a disability were facing severe difficulties in finding suitable alternative accommodation that met their specialised requirements. The 2025 Act and forthcoming regulations will provide a possible remedy to this situation. Where the approved remediation option is the demolition of the relevant dwelling and its reconstruction, a relevant owner may be able to avail of funding under the scheme for the building of a home adjacent to the existing dwelling. Relevant owners can apply to the designated local authority for approval to construct a new dwelling in the curtilage of the relevant dwelling to replace the approved remediation option, subject to certain eligibility conditions. As this provision is an exemption from the normal rules of the scheme, which is fundamentally a scheme to remediate existing homes, the Deputy will appreciate that consideration had to be given to its drafting. This has meant some additional time was required to finalise the regulations. Local authorities have responsibility for the administration of the scheme and will process the applications. On the Deputy’s point and question, we are in the very final stages of drafting the regulations. Drafting will be within the next couple of weeks, after which implementation can proceed.

I thank the Minister for the response but all that is new in it is that the regulations are in the final stages of drafting and will be available to the Minister to sign within the next couple of weeks. Back in committee last year, I was told completion would be in quarter 1, but it is now quarter 2. I was told completion would be in the middle of April. This is not what my constituents want to hear. I want something definite. I appreciate that officials will be drafting but all hands have to be on deck over the next couple of weeks. By the end of this month, or certainly by the early days of May, the regulations have to be finalised. It does not mean that those who have already received planning permission for a side-by-side build can start immediately. They have to make the application. Somebody will decide who qualifies and who does not. There has to be flexibility. It is not just about a physical disability alone. Other factors have to be taken into consideration. I hope we are not back in the House on the second week of May debating this. I plead with the Minister of State to impress upon the officials that this matter is vital to the individuals concerned. It is urgent because families cannot progress without the provision being signed into law. They are left in limbo and they are waiting for clarity. The ongoing delays are causing stress, uncertainty and disruption to their daily lives. This has already been a multi-year issue. I hope this is the last time it will be discussed in the House. I hope that when the guidelines and regulations are signed off, we will not be back here again requesting that they be amended. They should be all-encompassing and cover all individuals I have referred to.

I thank Deputy Gallagher again. I absolutely take his point and I appreciate the urgency of this. The families and constituents the Deputy represents right across the board have been severely impacted by defective blocks. They have had their lives turned upside down and have experienced significant upheaval. Regarding the amendment we are talking about and the regulations we are introducing on side-by-side construction, there is another layer of complexity and difficulty when it comes to those who may have had their houses formally adapted for mobility and the fact that it is not as straightforward as upping sticks and going to another home that is not adapted, as the Deputy quite rightly outlined. The latter is just not a possibility, which is why we agreed recently to introduce the amendment to change the existing arrangement. However, there are complexities. Drafting was not straightforward and simple. It is not something that can be done overnight. However, I absolutely take the Deputy’s point that there is urgency. The Deputy wants to be able to go back to constituents in Donegal and say that what he is requesting is happening. However, I am here with good news: the regulations are in the very final stages. I cannot give an exact date as that would be unfair, but within the next few weeks the regulations should be signed by the Minister and, therefore, implemented. I sincerely hope this is the last time the Deputy has to raise this in the Chamber. I cannot give a date but the regulations are in the final stages.