Apartment defects emergency works
Deputy Costello raised residents in defective apartment complexes who need urgent remedial works before the new scheme becomes operational. The Tánaiste said legislation was being drafted, that due process was required, and that he would raise specific cases with the Minister.
Yesterday I met constituents from the Not Our Fault campaign outside the Dáil. They are seeking emergency funds to carry out essential remedial works to their apartment complexes that are needed right now. While I welcome the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage's proposed apartment defects scheme, it is my understanding it will not be operational until 2024. In the meantime, many of the complexes are literal death traps with works needed now. Residents are facing huge increases in insurance bills they cannot afford due to these defects and because the cost of insurance is making it harder to afford the remediation of the defects. Will the Minister commit to providing interim or emergency funding or supports in advance of the general scheme to allow essential safety works to take place now? They are needed right now.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The Minister gave a commitment in January to draft the legislation to establish the supports in the defects in apartments scheme. Some degree of due process is necessary in this regard, but I will talk to the Minister about specific cases the Deputy has identified, if there are specific cases. The Minister's response has been comprehensive as regards the scale of the scheme he has announced. We are looking at an overall cost of between €1.5 billion and €2.5 billion. That is welcome news but the Deputy is saying there are immediate cases. It is now the second quarter of 2023. If we could get the legislation passed before the end of this year, we would be in a position to launch the scheme forthwith.