The Government's defective blocks scheme has left many homeowners, particularly in Donegal, facing significant challenges. The scheme is fraught with delays, technical barriers and inadequate funding. Despite availing of the scheme, families are still drowning in debt and are expected to carry the financial burden relating to delays caused by a lack of contractors and insufficient processing by Donegal County Council. Despite thousands of applications having gone through, the scheme is not working. Work has only been completed on 69 houses have been completed in the past number of years.

I welcome that the Remediation of Dwellings damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Bill is listed in the Government's spring legislation programme. When will we see the text of this Bill? What is the expected timeline for its publication. What consultations are taking place?

Thank you, Deputy.

Will the Bill include retrospective payments - these were promised previously - for homeowners who are currently in the scheme?

The Bill is being currently. Some 450 homes are under construction or being refurbished at the moment.

Only 69 have been completed.

Yes, but there are 450 under construction. That is a significant number. We have to keep ensuring that there is momentum behind this in terms of getting houses refurbished, rebuilt or whatever. This is a hugely resourced scheme. The Government has committed enormous sums of money towards it, and correctly so. If the Deputy is saying there is an insufficiency in terms of the scheme, Donegal County Council will have to deal with it.