FOLLOWING the enactment of the DCB amendment act and increased grant regulations, Donegal County Council has introduced a prioritisation process for applicants.
Donegal has over 77 per cent of all applications to the enhanced scheme. Therefore, the local authority has undertaken significant work preparing for the implementation of the amendments, and the online portal is currently being updated to reflect same.
There will be three cohorts of applications, the first is applicants who have completed remediation work post March 29, 2024 and have received their final payment.
This cohort of applicants will have expended the available grant amount and therefore will be priority 1 for the increased grant amount, where applicable.
The second cohort is applicants with remediation work underway and currently on site. This cohort of applicants benefit from continued access to their existing grant amount and therefore are priority 2.
The third group or priority 3 is those who have received a grant amount but have yet to commence works. This cohort of applicants is those yet to commence remediation works and upon commencement will benefit from access to their existing grant amount.
Applicants who may be eligible for an increased in remediation option grant are reminded that they need to apply for this increase.
A dedicated tile entitled “Apply for Increase to Remediation Option Grant” will soon be available on the online portal for applicants in priority 1 group.
As and when the tile becomes available for other priority groupings, this will be communicated to applicants.
Following assessment, the council will notify the applicant of the decision on the application for an increased remediation option grant and of any increased remediation option grant that is applicable.
Grant rates payable per square metre will rise by 7 to 8 per cent depending on the remediation option. The Scheme Cap will rise by 10 per cent to €462,000 from the current €420,000.
Approved applicants will then be required to submit a payment claim, as per the legislation, for the qualifying expenditure for which they wish to seek reimbursement. This payment claim can be submitted via the online portal.
Council staff are currently familiarising themselves with the guidelines just received, and the council said they appreciate homeowners’ continued patience and understanding as staff manage this heightened workload, during the initial implementation period.
“Please bear in mind that, in the early stages of implementing the amendments, the council are receiving a high volume of calls and queries,” a council spokesperson said.
“Applicants are asked to review all relevant information on the council’s website, on the online portal and to reach out to the community facilitators, if required.”
Please see full information at the following link: https:www.donegalcoco.ieenserviceshousingdefective-concrete-blocksdcb-amendment-act
