Council to send letter to an Taoiseach for public building inclusion in DCB scheme

A letter will be sent to an Taoiseach Micheál Martin to include public buildings in the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme.

At the March plenary meeting of Donegal County Council, Sinn Féin Cllr Albert Doherty brought a motion forward on the issue.

He asked for “the Department of Housing and related government departments to adopt, advance and fund an action focused review of the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme that includes and enables safety remediation works to commence in Schools, Creches, Public Service Centres, Community Buildings and Farm Outhouses.”

Cllr Doherty said: “I was really hoping when I submitted this motion that we would already have news from government on the social housing remediation scheme, and it’s very unfortunate that here we are again with no remediation forthcoming.”

He said he had raised concerns at a recent ETB Board meeting about the number of schools in the county affected by defective blocks. Minister for Education, Fine Gael TD Hildegarde Naughton, responded by saying that her team were aware of 16 schools that had reported issues.

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“She also stated that her department and the emergency works scheme has been engaged by each of the schools and officials have been in touch with all the schools - her words were ‘in recent months’,” said Cllr Doherty. “I checked two of the schools as they would be nearby, this was now January 2026. One school had their last visit from a department official in June 25 and there had been none up to Christmas. As of Friday [March] 27, end of term, no official had been in touch with this school.

“That seems to be the issue we’ve inherited in Donegal. We cry aloud, we shout aloud, we send our motions. We send our letters but there seems to be no response acknowledging the issue.”

As well as schools, Cllr Doherty raised issues with other public buildings affected by defective concrete blocks and cited Carndonagh Public Services Centre as an example. 

“I highlight again that it has to be cross department, not just education,” said Cllr Doherty. “I would say as well, it should be put on the desk of an Taoiseach Micheál Martin.”

Sinn Féin Cllr Terry Crossan seconded the motion.

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“As chair of the ETB Board, I can concur with Cllr Doherty that there is increasing and ongoing concern among principals and parents on the increasing and ongoing deterioration of some of these school buildings,” he said.

Mr Michael McGarvey, Director of Environment & Climate, Property Management and Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme, responded to the motion and agreed to write to an Taoiseach.

He added that a plan of action for Carndonagh Public Services Centre would be considered in due course on MD level.