Department announce changes to the Defective Concrete Block Scheme following preliminary research findings

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is making changes to the way the enhanced Defective Concrete Block (DCB) Scheme works for certain homeowners.

This follows the recent receipt of preliminary results from scientific research into damaged dwellings in Co. Donegal, which claims that the underlying mechanism of damage is as a result of Internal Sulfate Attack due to presence of excessive amounts of pyrrhotite.

From today (6 November), all homeowners who have been given a non-demolition option (option 2 to 5) will be offered a choice of continuing with the work on their dwelling under the option determined or the option of a full technical review of their application by the Housing Agency.

This review will be informed by the current research once the full review of the national standard (IS465) is complete. If homeowners choose to continue with their works they continue to avail of the 40-year government guarantee. Homeowners who receive an option 1 (demolition) will be unaffected by the changes announced today.

The change announced today is in keeping with the long standing commitment that the scheme be evidenced based, and, as has been articulated on many occasions, the scheme has been designed in such as way so as to ensure that no person will be left behind the science. An appeals mechanism has been put in place as well as a 40 year guarantee.

The department and the Minister have consistently said that standard I.S 465 needed to be reviewed, and in line with the government decision requested the NSAI (as the lead authority) to conduct a number of reviews of relevant national standards one of which is I.S.465.

As a direct result of the research findings that have come to light in recent days, Minister O’Brien will also ask the Expert Group under the Chair of Paul Forde to examine all the research completed to date and to provide advice as to the implications to the grant scheme of this research. Furthermore, advice will be sought on any potential changes that could be made to the scheme’s Ministerial Guidelines in advance of the revised I.S. 465 standard.

The Department of Housing continues to take the lead on engaging with the NSAI who will require time to assess this research and input that assessment to their ongoing review of the relevant national standard- I.S. 465. The department are eager that this progresses as quickly as possible. This process has been strongly supported and resourced by both Minister O’Brien and his cabinet colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Peter Burke (the NSAI falls under the auspices of his department).