Overview, resources and how to apply for the Enhanced Grant Scheme for Defective Concrete Blocks

Overview of Process 

Stage 1. Application is made

• Homeowner engages a competent building professional to carry out a Building Condition Assessment (BCA) report assessing the damage threshold. (For BCA Report Template see useful links below)
• Homeowner should submit an application to Clare County Council with a copy of the BCA report.
• Clare County Council consider if application is valid and refers valid applications to the Housing Agency.
• Housing Agency assesses the level of damage and notifies the local authority whether the dwelling meets or does not meet the damage threshold.
• Local authority notifies the homeowner of the determination by the Housing Agency.

Stage 2. Home is assessed and remediation option decided

• Competent Engineer on behalf of the Housing Agency undertakes testing and assessment of the dwelling.
• Housing Agency notifies the local authority of the determined appropriate remediation option or combination of remediation options and the remediation option grant amount.
• Clare County Council notifies the homeowner of the determinations by the Housing Agency.

Stage 3. Work is carried out, Grant is paid and certificate is issued

• Homeowner engages a competent building professional to complete a Remedial Works Plan for the approved remediation option and submits to the local authority.

• Homeowner engages a building contractor and can request stage payments from Clare County Council.

• Homeowner applies to Clare County Council for other grants for alternative accommodation, storage and immediate repairs where necessary.

• A Certificate of Remediation completed by the competent building professional is submitted to Clare County Council with the homeowner's final grant payment request.

• Clare County Council issues a Letter of Assurance to the homeowner following receipt of the Certificate of Remediation for the approved remediation options other than demolition and rebuild.

Key features

Key features of the Scheme include:

• 100% grants subject to an overall maximum grant of €420,000 per dwelling
• Grant rates in keeping with advice from SCSI
• A government guarantee in the form of a second grant option if required for a period of 40 years
• A revised application process which removes the financial barrier to scheme entry
• An independent appeals process for applicants
• Alternative accommodation and storage costs and immediate repair works to a maximum value of €25,000
• The expertise of the Housing Agency in assessing applications
• The inclusion of Residential Tenancies Board registered rental properties
• The inclusion of Clare and Limerick in the enhanced scheme upon commencement and the option for other counties to enter the scheme
• Exempt development status for like for like remediation works completed under the scheme.

Who does the scheme apply to? 

The Enhanced Grant Scheme applies to the owners of dwellings located in Clare, Donegal, Limerick and Mayo, which dwellings are damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks containing excessive amounts of mica or pyrite or such other deleterious materials or combination of deleterious materials as may be prescribed by the Minister.

• have acquired ownership of the dwelling prior to 31 January 2020 (or inherited the dwelling on or after 31 January 2020);
• use the dwelling as their principle private residence or be the landlord where there was a registered tenancy on or before 1 November 2021 – except where the resident had to leave the dwelling due to damage caused by defective concrete blocks.

The dwelling must be:

1. the individual's principal private residence, that is, a house which an individual owns (or co-owns) and occupies as his or her only main residence.
2. a rented dwelling with a registered tenancy that was registered with the Residential Tenancies Boards (RTB) on or before 1 November 2021 subject to a maximum of one rental property per household and the introduction of a clawback mechanism upon re-sale within a set time period depending on the remediation option used.

Tips for Applicants 

Where it is suspected that a dwelling has been damaged due to the use of defective concrete blocks in its construction, the homeowner should engage a competent building professional to carry out a ‘Building Condition Assessment’ report as prescribed by the Minister, which will broadly be in accordance with the template in the Irish Standard I.S. 465:2018. This assessment will form part of the application that is submitted to Clare County Council. If the damage to the home is consistent with defective concrete blocks as per I.S. 465:2018, and your building professional considers that it will meet the prescribed damage threshold the homeowner should make an application under the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme to Clare County Council.

A “competent building professional” as set out below can complete a Building Condition Assessment Report: 

• Competent architect, meaning a person whose name is entered in the register for architects established under Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007 and who has completed such training that may be prescribed in relation to damage caused to dwellings by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction; or
• Competent building surveyor meaning a person whose name is entered in the register for building surveyors established under Part 5 of the Building Control Act 2007, and who has completed such training that may be prescribed in relation to damage caused to dwellings by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction; or
• Competent engineer meaning a person whose name is entered in the register kept by the Institute of Engineers of Ireland under section 7 of The Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act 1969, and who has completed such training that may be  prescribed in relation to damage caused to dwellings by the use of defective concrete blocks in their construction.

Before you begin the application, please make sure you have:

• The Eircode for the relevant dwelling Eircode Eircode Finder
• Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) of relevant dwelling How to Find Your MPRN
• Planning Reference Number for relevant dwelling Search Planning permissions
• Your PPS Number - this must be for you, the applicant
• Your Tax Clearance Access Number (TCAN) - this must be for your PPS number
  It is recommended that you register with revenue where you can check your tax compliance as this needs to be in order when you apply. Revenue will give you a Tax Clearance Access Number (TCAN). This is the number you need to provide here. We will use it along with your PPSN to check that your tax affairs are in order.

and have the following ready for upload:

1. Copy of Planning Permission in respect of relevant dwelling and Certificate of Compliance with planning permission provided by the competent building professional
2. If an application for a second grant, letter of Assurance and Certificate of Remediation
3. Building Condition Assessment
4. Proof of Identity of the Applicant a valid passport, or a valid driving license, or a Public Service Card issued by the Department of Social Protection
5. Proof of Ownership - such proof being one of: a copy of title deed for the relevant dwelling, a registration of title or other legal documents proving proof of ownership 
6. Consent of joint owner(s) if the relevant dwelling is jointly owned - this form will be available to download and must be signed by the joint owner(s) and uploaded again
7. Proof that the relevant dwelling is your Principal Private Residence (dated within the last 6 months and showing applicant name and address) - at least two of the documents listed below required:
   • details on Register of Electors;
   • bank statement - dated within the last 6 months;
   • a current car or home insurance policy that shows your address;
   • a document issued by a Government Department that shows your address;
   • a copy of your Tax Credit Certificate (TCC);
   • a Statement of Liability (previously P21) from Revenue;
   • a social insurance document (that shows your address)
8. If a landlord of the relevant dwelling – a certificate of registration in the residential tenancies register (including details of the registered landlord number and registered tenancy number, a tax credit certificate and Statement of liability (previously P21) from Revenue is required
9. Proof of payment of the Local Property Tax (Payment History)
   You can log in directly to LPT if you have your PPSN, Property ID and PIN. Click on View Payment History and at the bottom of the screen, you can Print – choose something like Print to Microsoft PDF to create a pdf for uploading as part of the application. You can also access your LPT records via your myAccount if registered with Revenue. Please note that when submitting an application, a homeowner must provide proof to the designated local authority that there are no outstanding amounts of local property tax.

Make sure that the information you supply in relation to PPS Number, Tax Clearance Access Number and Eircode etc. is correct, to avoid delays in the processing of your application.
It is important that you supply Clare County Council with all the documentation thats requested so that your application can be submitted and assessed.

What type of dwelling does not qualify for the Enhanced Grant Scheme?

• Holiday Homes
• Vacant residential properties
• Apartment, maisonette and duplex dwellings (see the Your Questions Answered document Question 15 for more information)
• Any structure on land appurtenant to the dwelling in the construction of which defective concrete blocks were used, unless the Housing Agency is satisfied that damage may be caused to the dwelling, after the completion of a remediation option, by the failure to include the structure, or
• A building that provides multi-occupancy accommodation under conditions specified by the provider of the accommodation, including a nursing home, boarding school, hotel or hostel.

Remedial Options Available 

There are five remedial options available under this grant scheme. The maximum grant approved for each remedial option is determined by the grant rates approved by the Minister and will be sufficient to cover 100% of the necessary works subject to the grant rates and over all grant cap of €420,000. The maximum grant payable will be 100% of the approved grant amount or 100% of the actual vouched cost of the qualifying works carried out, whichever is the lesser. As the remedial works progress, the homeowner will be eligible to apply for grant payments in stages on submission of interim valuation certificates by their competent building professional.

Definition of Damage Threshold 

The 'damage threshold' is the minimum level of damage which must be present in a home in order for that dwelling to be allowed access into the Enhanced Grant Scheme.

Once a valid application is lodged and once a dwelling has met the damage threshold for entry to the scheme, which threshold is specified in the Regulations, the Housing Agency will arrange for the assessment, sampling testing and categorisation of the dwelling on a priority basis in accordance with the national standard I.S. 465:2018 and thereafter determine the appropriate remediation option and grant amount.

The damage itself must be linked to the suspected presence of defective concrete blocks in the home and will be considered as part of the Building Condition Assessment process.

The purpose of having a damage threshold is to ensure that the worst affected homes are prioritised first. In removing any damage threshold, this would have a significant negative impact on the capacity of the statutory process to address the worst affected houses first.

What costs are covered by the Enhanced Grant Scheme? 

The grant scheme covers 100% of the costs of the remediation works approved subject to the grant rates and overall grant cap of €420,000. The grant and the grant rates set by the Minister include for;

• Professional fees
• Building Condition Assessment Report
• The approved remediation works
• Alternative accommodation costs
• Removal and Storage costs
• Essential Immediate Repair Works
• Cost of disconnection and reconnection of services and utilities
• Value Added Tax

Role of the Local Authority 

Local Authorities have responsibility for the administration of the Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme. This includes the initial validation of applications, notifying homeowners of the Housing Agency's determinations on the damage threshold, the appropriate remediation option and grant amount, determination of the grant payable for alternative accommodation and storage costs and immediate repair works and the subsequent payment of grants to successful applicants. The Local Authority will notify homeowners of all the Housing Agency's determinations.

Role of the Housing Agency 

The Housing Agency act as technical agents on behalf of the local authorities under the Enhanced Grant Scheme. Applications received by a local authority will be referred to the Housing Agency to review the 'Building Condition Assessment Report' and determine if the home has met the 'damage threshold' for entry to the scheme.

Once a home has met the damage threshold for entry to the scheme, the Housing Agency will engage its Framework Chartered Engineers to undertake the assessment, survey, sampling, testing and categorisation of the dwelling thereafter on a priority basis in accordance with the national standard I.S. 465:2018 and thereafter determine the appropriate remediation option and grant amount.

The Housing Agency will act as agents on behalf of the local authorities under the Enhanced Grant Scheme. Applications received by Clare County Council will be referred to the Housing Agency to review the ‘Building Condition Assessment’ (BCA) report and determine if the home has met the ‘damage threshold’ for entry to the scheme.
Once a home has met the damage threshold for entry to the scheme, the Housing Agency will appoint an authorised officer for the purposes of conducting an assessment, sampling, testing and categorisation of dwellings on a priority basis in accordance with the national standard IS 465:2018 to enable the Housing Agency to determine the appropriate remediation option and grant amount.
The Housing Agency will determine the priority in which it may assess dwellings, both under the initial damage threshold (BCA) application stage and the remediation option grant assessment stage. This process will take account of the following:

• the relative severity and impact of damage attributable to the dwelling as a result of defective concrete blocks;
• the relative urgency of the need for remediation;
  the proximity of the dwelling to other affected properties at time of assessment;
  the resources (including financial resources) available or likely to be available to the Housing Agency.

Useful Links

Building Condition Assessment Report Template [DOCX, 107KB]

Schedule 15 Notice of Appeal Form [PDF, 75KB]

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage website

Press Release for commencement of scheme

Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme: Your Questions Answered

Enhanced Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme - Ministerial Guidelines

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022

Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the use of Defective Concrete Blocks Regulations 2023

Reports / Publications

NSAI Standards (Irish Standard IS 465:2018+A1:2020) Assessment, Testing and Categorisation of damaged buildings incorporating concrete blocks containing certain deleterious materials [PDF, 630KB]
Report of Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks. https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/Report of the expert panel on concrete blocks [PDF, 2132KB]


Other Links

Revenue https://www.revenue.ie

Property Registration Authority of Ireland https://www.prai.ie
Local Property Tax https://lpt.revenue.ie