CONCERN has been raised about whether Donegal County Council has adequate resource to deal with an expected ‘tsunami’ of applications for the enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme.
After numerous delays, the government signed off regulations on Monday of last week to bring in the scheme, after it was first announced by Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien in November 2021.
But while campaigners believe some improvements have been made, they have said serious flaws remain.
In their report in the wake of the new regulations, The Mica Action Group (MAG) have sounded concern about resources amid an expected ‘tsunami’ of those affected to come forward.
“Only 37 houses have been re-mediated in the three years since the original scheme was launched in 2020. MAG also has concerns about whether the new scheme has sufficient resource to operate in an efficient and responsive manner,” the group stated.
“Over 5,000 homes are estimated to be affected in Donegal alone, yet just over 1300 have applied to the original scheme, indicating that there is a tsunami of those affected waiting in the wings.”
MAG said that while they were pleased the government has agreed to undertake further scientific testing, the results of which will not be available until the end of the year at the earliest – leaving homeowners feeling anxious and unable to make informed decisions about the implications for foundations and remediation options that leave defective blocks in their home.
“Such scientific research will also have a bearing on how worthy the Certificate of Remediation issued on completion of rebuild proves with banks, mortgage holders and insurers. It is evident there has been little meaningful engagement between Government and such organisations to date, despite a key principle on which the scheme will be judged being whether remediated homes are once again fully insurable, saleable and mortgageable at full market value,” the report states.
Their concerns have been echoed by Sinn Féin TD Pádraig MacLochlainn.
“It is also not clear whether the local authorities have been given adequate resources and IT systems to process the new applications in a timely manner.
“Minister O’Brien has also yet to set out how he intends to address the issue of defective blocks in a very significant number of social homes owned by Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies.”
Affected homeowners and the Department of Housing and Local Authorities will speak at an Oireachtas Housing Committee on the scheme on Thursday.
Meanwhile Donegal County Council is advising homeowners that the council will be in a position to receive applications online under the new scheme from today.
The council say they have undertaken significant work preparing for the implementation of the new scheme which was announced by Government last week.
The council’s existing Online Application System is being updated to reflect the details in the new scheme.
There is important information too for homeowners who have submitted applications under the previous scheme. These applications will have to transition to the new Enhanced Scheme and grant amounts will also have to be calculated under the new scheme.
“Both Donegal County Council and the Housing Agency have roles in the implementation of the new Scheme,” said a spokesperson for the Council.
“The Council’s role is changed significantly and involves the administration of the scheme, including the validation of applications and the issuing of payments. The Council does not have any engineering role within the new scheme.”
Homeowners are being encouraged to review the ‘Guidelines’ together with ‘Your Questions Answered’ issued by the Department. These can be found on the Department website.
In parallel with receiving new applications, there is now a requirement for the existing 1,296 applications made under the previous scheme, to transition to the new Enhanced Scheme.
This will involve the calculation of grant amounts due under the Enhanced Scheme. Given the volume of applications, the council say this is likely to take a period of time to complete.
These applications are within two broad categories as follows:
Category 1 – 848 applications have already received Confirmation of Eligibility (Stage 1 Approval). These will be transitioned to the new Scheme by the Council. This will take a period of time. There is no action required by these homeowners currently.
The Council will be in touch with individual homeowners in this regard, with the initial priority being given to homeowners who have already completed or have commenced their remediation works, with a view to paying additional grant money, where due, under the Enhanced Scheme. The Council will also be examining how certain cases such as vulnerable homeowners’ applications together with the worst affected homes, can be dealt with as part of this process.
Category 2 – 251 of the 1296 applications have already been referred to the Housing Agency for engineering / technical assessment under the terms of the Enhanced Scheme. Each homeowner in this category has been advised that their application has progressed to the Housing Agency. The remainder of applications will be transferred to the Housing Agency, subject to validation requirements and the homeowners notified accordingly.
The Council statement added: “It should be borne in mind that, in the early stages of implementing the new scheme, the Council are taking a high volume of calls and queries.
“Council staff are currently familiarising themselves with the guidelines just received, and the Council appreciate homeowners’ continued patience and understanding as staff manage this heightened workload, during the initial implementation period.”
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