Am I eligible? Who the scheme covers, and who it leaves out
The 2022 Act defines a “dwelling” narrowly. That single definition decides whether a family gets a rebuild or gets nothing, and it is the source of most of the unfairness in the scheme.
Overview
The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 applies to a dwelling that is a person’s principal private residence, or a rented dwelling registered with the RTB. Apartments, duplexes and most multi-unit developments fall outside it, and a separate scheme for them has been promised but not delivered.
What the scheme covers
Covered
- Private homesYour principal private residence, with damage consistent with defective blocks
- Registered rental propertiesLandlord-owned dwellings registered with the RTB, subject to conditions
- Social housingCouncil and approved housing body homes — the law permits State repairs
Not covered
- Apartments and duplexesA separate scheme has been promised but is not yet in place
- Commercial propertyShops, offices and business premises are outside the Act entirely
- Holiday and second homesOnly a principal private residence qualifies
- Community buildingsHalls, clubs and community centres have no route to redress
- Outbuildings and garagesDamage to structures other than the dwelling is not funded
Social housing: covered in law, stalled in practice
Over 1,000 council homes in Donegal show visible cracking. The legislation permits the State to repair its own housing stock, but the scheme to do so has not been activated. Tenants are living with the same failures as their neighbours and without even the option to apply.
What we are doing about it
Charles Ward TD has raised the exclusions repeatedly in the Dáil and at committee, pressing for the apartment and duplex scheme to be published, for social housing remediation to begin, and for the principal-residence test to be applied with some humanity where a family has had to move out.
Our four councillors have brought the same case to Donegal County Council, seeking a full audit of affected council stock and a published remediation programme with dates attached.
The interim scheme is not full redress
Interim support is acknowledged and, for some families, genuinely useful. It is not a substitute for a scheme that covers the true cost of putting a home right, and accepting it should not be read as accepting the shortfall.
Not sure where your home stands?
The step-by-step guide starts before any paperwork, with what to photograph and who to call first.