Government must commence defective blocks act now - Pringle

The Government has been told to start implementing the defective blocks act, "rushed through the Dáil last year".

Deputy Thomas Pringle told Tánaiste Micheál Martin in the Dáil today that his “constituents in Donegal are at their wits’ end with your continued failures and delays".

He was referring to a response to a parliamentary question tendered by him and answered last September.

“At the end of September, the Minister for Housing replied to a parliamentary question I put down in relation to the commencement of the Defective Blocks Act that, and I quote: ‘The aim and intention is to have the regulations and guidelines finalised before the end of the year with the scheme opening for applications as soon as possible thereafter, which I expect will only be a matter of weeks later.’

“You’ll remember that your government rammed this legislation through the Houses before the summer break without proper scrutiny and with claims of great urgency. Yet it still sits on the shelf uncommenced.

“But the Minister and Department has form in this area. Over the last 10 years the Department has left sitting 450 sections out of 19 separate acts uncommenced,” he said.

The issue today was raised during questions on policy or legislation.

Deputy Pringle added: 

"So Tánaiste, can you update the House as to the new timeline for the commencement of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022?”

In his response, the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, said he will talk to the minister and said it was his understanding that regulations would be ready very shortly.