Defective Concrete Blocks Social Homes Scheme 2026: Motion Seanad Éireann — 2026-09-30 ============================================================ Christopher O'Sullivan (FF), Cork South-West I join Senator Blaney because I know how vocal he has been on this. I have been honoured to accompany him to a lot of parliamentary party meetings where he has raised this so actively. Similar to the Senator, I extend a welcome to Deputy Ward, who has lived this and experienced it. This has been his life, essentially, for a good number of years. We can see that when he contributes to the Dáil debates. I have also noticed that when this issue comes up in the Dáil, he stays from start to finish and, even a step further, he stays from the start to the finish of the Seanad debate as well. That has to be acknowledged in terms of how important it is to him. I thank all the Senators for their contributions to this debate. The defective concrete block social homes scheme represents another significant step in the Government's response to the issues faced by communities affected by defective concrete blocks. It complements the supports already available to private homeowners and extends assistance to the social housing sector in ensuring a consistent and equitable approach across all affected housing tenures. Significant funding has been provided to homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks. More than €405 million has been paid out under the scheme to date. Government funding will continue to be made available annually to meet demand. In 2026, a record €175 million has been allocated to the scheme, more than double the amount provided in the previous year. The substantial increase reflects the growing uptake of the scheme and the Government's continued commitment to support affected homeowners. I am conscious that local authorities have been preparing for some time, with the assistance of the Department, for what will mark the beginning of an important new phase in the defective concrete blocks remediation scheme. Their engagement and preparedness will be critical to the successful roll-out of the scheme. I understand that some of the affected local authorities have already identified a number of specific homes in their housing stock where remediation can begin once the scheme is signed by Government, allowing procurement to move ahead at pace. The initial cohort of homes will progress to remediation as soon as possible. It will enable the sector to build experience and refine its approach, ensuring the process is managed in the most effective manner possible and, above all, in the best interests of the tenants. I am well aware of the broader social and community impact of the defective concrete block, DCB, issue. The Government will continue to respond in a practical and effective way to help deliver solutions for individual residents that will also help the wider community. The scheme will ensure tenants living in affected social homes can benefit from the same commitment to remediation that has been provided to private homeowners. It reflects the Government's commitment that no affected household should be left behind and that those living in social housing receive the support they need in an important step in protecting our social housing stock, supporting tenants and ensuring communities can continue to grow and develop in the future. Today's debate has highlighted the strong consensus on the importance of progressing this matter and delivering the necessary supports and investments. We remain committed to supporting those affected and continue our work to deliver practical and effective solutions. We will continue to work closely with local authorities and stakeholders to ensure affected social homes are remediated and that tenants are supported throughout the process. As I said, this will include working to ensure that all available State funding is used in as efficient a manner as possible and directing support from my Department for staffing resources, where necessary. The development of the scheme has been informed by a close collaboration with the designated local authority, the Irish Council for Social Housing and a range of approved housing bodies. Their expertise and experience have been instrumental in shaping the scheme for those designated local authorities. It should be noted that although the Housing Agency does not have a technical role in the social homes scheme, determinations relating to the required remediation option will be made in the same way. A competent building professional will consider the damage and make a decision on the new standard IS 465. Today, we have an opportunity to take a practical and positive step forward. By supporting this motion, the House can send a clear message that we are committed to introducing a scheme to support the remediation of these homes that have been affected by defective concrete blocks, thereby ensuring that tenants are protected and that the housing stock is restored to a safe and sustainable standard. I wish to comment on some of the contributions from the Senators. It is important that they took the time to contribute. Senator Flaherty spoke on tenant purchase. It is an important issue, so I am glad he brought it up. It is certainly something that, as a Department, we need to look at in order to give people that option. It is available to most people who are not living in a house that is impacted. The Senator has raised a very important issue. Senator Flaherty also raised the issue of resourcing local authorities, as others did. That is something we are committed to doing to ensure that the local authorities are resourced. In a similar vein, Senator Boyhan talked about engagement with local authorities. This is already happening at quite a large scale, but where local authorities seek more support and information, the Department will not be found wanting. Senator Duffy is right to point out that this is not just a house, and that the language we use is very important. These are people’s homes and, therefore, we know how emotive this is. People in Mayo have experienced this as well. That is not lost on us. I thank Senator Collins for highlighting the opposition, but Sinn Féin will not oppose this. That is very important, and it shows that we can work together. Regarding one of the points made by Senator Collins, local authorities will be obliged to accommodate those whose houses are being remediated. That is there, and they will be resourced to do so, which is very important. The uptake has been very strong. I know the Senator said that people were dissuaded from availing of it, but 604 houses have been done to date and there are another 790-odd in the pipeline. Therefore, we are getting there in terms of trying to get to as many houses as possible. Senator Cosgrove made various points. I want to point out that this is not a closed deal. We are not drawing a line under this and walking away. We will always be reviewing these schemes as we go forward. Senator Flynn is concerned about the childcare facilities. We would like to get more information on that. Senator Blaney also raised the point. This is a really important issue. These are our youngest, and this is the most important part of education, so we must be sure it is done in a safe manner. The Traveller accommodation issue was also raised by Senator Flynn. Again, Donegal County Council needs to identify the social houses that it feels need to be addressed in this element of the remediation. That is something we would like to work with it on. I again thank Senators for their contributions. This is a very important commitment by the Government. People have been through hell, whether they live in private homes or social homes. We are now getting to a stage where we are starting to release that pressure valve and give people a bit of hope that, at the end of this process, they can once again live in safe, secure, high-standard, quality homes. That is exactly what the Minister, Deputy Browne, and all in the Department want. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-09-30/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-09-30