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Council wants action on DCB appeals and reinstatement of original determinations
Donegal County Council supported a motion calling for urgent intervention from the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and from Mr Darren Lehane, Chair of the Defective Concrete Blocks Appeals Panel
The motion was brought forward by Cllr Joy Beard of the 100% Redress Party
Reporter:
Contributor
24 Nov 2025 6:33 PM
Email:
news@donegallive.ie
Donegal County Council calls for urgent action on delayed defective concrete blocks appeals and demands reinstatement of homeowners’ original demolition determinations.
Donegal County Council supported a motion brought forward by Cllr Joy Beard of the 100% Redress Party, calling for urgent intervention from the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and from Mr Darren Lehane, Chair of the Defective Concrete Blocks Appeals Panel, in response to the widespread downgrading of demolition determinations and the severe backlog in appeals under the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme. The motion was seconded by Cllr Denis McGee and was unanimously passed by Donegal County Council.
Cllr Beard highlighted that homeowners followed every requirement of the original scheme. They engaged IS 465 registered Chartered Engineers, completed core sampling and received demolition determinations based on direct on-site inspection. Despite this, the Housing Agency’s Framework Engineers have downgraded these demolition determinations and imposed lower repair options, in many cases without even conducting a site visit.
“This is not credible or defensible decision making,” Cllr Beard said. “The determination made by the IS 465 engineer, who physically inspected and sampled the home, is the only evidence-based assessment. The science has moved on, and we now know the true cause is an internal sulphate attack. The homeowners engineer decision must stand.”
Cllr Beard also raised grave concerns about the operation of the appeals system. To date, only six appeals have been heard, five of which relate directly to downgraded option decisions. All six appeals have been upheld, confirming that the original determinations were correct. However, none of these cases have yet been returned to the Housing Agency for reassessment leaving families in prolonged uncertainty.
“Some families have been waiting nearly two years for their appeals to be decided,” Cllr Beard stated. “During this time their homes have continued to deteriorate. The chemical reaction causing homes to crumble does not pause while the appeals process stalls. This level of delay is simply unacceptable.”
Government funded research confirms that internal sulphate attack is the true mechanism of failure, and that partial remediation cannot halt the chemical deterioration within the blocks.
Cllr Beard continued: “The science is clear. Where internal sulphate attack is present, the only safe and effective solution is Option 1 demolition and rebuild. Options 2 to 5 cannot work and should not be used.”
The motion passed by Donegal County Council calls for three urgent actions: 1. Reinstatement of the original IS 465 demolition determinations, made by engineers who physically inspected and sampled the homes; 2. Immediate removal of Options 2 to 5, as these partial repair methods are scientifically unsuitable where internal sulphate attack exists; 3. A clear maximum timeframe for the completion of all appeals, to ensure families are not left waiting indefinitely while their homes deteriorate further.
Cllr Beard concluded: “The appeals outcomes, the scientific evidence and the lived reality for families all point to the same conclusion. Demolition is the only safe path forward. The State must now act with urgency and end these unacceptable delays.”
Donegal County Council will now write to the Minister and to the Chair of the Appeals Panel seeking written confirmation of how these issues will be addressed without further delay.
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