'Up to Government to decide on final scheme' - Minister

Homeowners need to be confident repairs to their homes will last long-term.

That was the view of Minster Charlie McConalogue on the draft report from the working group on the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme.

Speaking to Donegal Live, the Donegal TD said: “What has already been agreed, coming out of the Working Group, is that there will be a guarantee. There was agreement between homeowners and the Department of Housing. There would be a guarantee for anybody who undertakes any of the remedial options, the repair options. They will have the option to re-enter the Scheme, in some instances, if the remediation does not work.”

“The Working Group has done very strong work and the homeowners are part of that in terms of defining the key issues and the details that needed to be looked at. It is up to the Government now to make the decision over the next two or three weeks in relation to the final Scheme.

“I will be working as a member of Cabinet, working with my Oireachtas colleagues and my Government as well, in relation to delivering 100% and getting a scheme that properly serves homeowners and fully covers the cost of remediating and indeed fully replacing homes that have to be demolished.

“My key focus is getting the right result. The scheme is going to be with us for many years and it is going to have to serve homeowners for a good number of years, so the important thing is we get the right outcome,” said Minister McConalogue.

Minister McConalogue added that the professional engineering advice around what options work for a home was going to be important in relation to informing any options that are being undertaken.

He said: “Homeowners need to be confident remediation options will last long-term, that is crucial. Also, what has already been agreed coming out of the Working Group is that there will be a guarantee. There was agreement between homeowners and the Department of Housing, covered in the Working Group report, that there would be a guarantee for anybody who undertakes any of the remedial options, the repair options. They will have the option to re-enter the Scheme, in some instances, if the remediation does not work. That is already agreed.

“What the Department of Housing has not already agreed to is 100% redress for demolition and rebuild or the caps. That is now a matter for the Government. Also, the overall scheme is a matter for the Government and I will be working to achieve in the next two or three weeks.”