I asked the Taoiseach a question last Tuesday on the defective concrete scheme and his answer was completely disingenuous. He is trying to mislead the public into thinking the scheme is working and many people have benefited from it. That could not be further from the truth. He claims 450 homes are under construction while failing to acknowledge only 69 homes have been completed. There is a big difference between a commencement and a completion - you cannot live in a commencement. The Taoiseach knows this, but rather than state the facts he attempts to mislead the public. With 69 completions since 2022, the scheme is not working. The Taoiseach has failed. The 450 homes he referred to may not necessarily even be going into construction. Sixty-nine completions since 2022 is 69 families - not 450 families - who are in their homes.

This completion rate is not reflective of the tens of thousands affected. Access to the scheme is limited, for many reasons: people cannot afford to get on it, working capital, financial shortfalls and lack of accommodation in Donegal. The homeowners who are availing of the scheme are going into more than €100,000 of debt. Their kids cannot go to college because they are trying to put a roof over their heads.

The amendment Bill the Government intends to bring in the spring has the potential to right many wrongs and could impact homeowners positively, but the Government has to work with the homeowners and with me to ensure this happens. In order to do this, we must face the reality and acknowledge the truth. The fact is that a minimum of 10,000 homes and 40,000 people in Donegal are impacted by this. The only way we can move forward is to work together.

Impacted homeowners in Donegal and across the country are desperately waiting for changes. They are desperately waiting for the rates and the caps. The Taoiseach knows that I.S. 465 is not fit for purpose. It is under review. We are all waiting but we all have to work off the same facts and figures. Truth needs to be told. We cannot afford to get this wrong again. It has been wrong on two occasions. People's mental and physical health is suffering.

I will ask the Taoiseach the question again and hope there is a genuine answer: will he work with me, the 100% Redress Party and the impacted homeowners to ensure the necessary changes are made? I am looking forward to a straight answer and dates.

Defective concrete blocks is a complex issue. This Government has been engaging with homeowners and various organisations from the very beginning. I met with some in my previous time as Taoiseach. The 2025 funding for this initiative has increased by over 50% from €45 million to €70 million. That means something is going on. There is activity, without question. The overall scheme is expected to cost €2.2 billion. The Government is committed to that and did commit to that. I am informed that, currently, there are more than 2,000 homeowners at various stages of the scheme.

Changes are on the way. Grant rates were set and increased in 2024, based on expert advice, at a level that ensures homeowners will get the money they need to put their homes right. To ensure the grant scheme follows the most up-to-date science, changes were made to the scheme late in 2024 to take account of the most recent research. A forthcoming Bill will make amendments to the grant scheme to allow changes to be implemented by the administrators of the scheme, namely, the local authorities. There has been progress since the Act came in in 2022 and commenced in June 2023 and, as the Deputy has said, there have been various changes in respect of that.

There has been an increase in the scheme grant rates of between 7.4% and approximately 8.7%. Again, the scheme is kept under constant review by the Department. It has identified the process of reviewed changes to the scheme that will make it better for homeowners. That will be made shortly in a defective concrete amendment Bill. The programme for Government commits to undertaking the planned review of the scheme. The Deputy is correct. The forthcoming Bill will address matters such as the application of increased scheme rates and the overall cap, along with some other technical amendments to ensure the smooth operation of the grant scheme for homeowners. The Deputy is correct to say that the NSAI review is under way. That is awaited and is expected to be completed perhaps in quarter 1 of this year. That will obviously be important in terms of future amendments to the scheme or policy options in respect of it. However, as the Deputy knows, an expert group has been formed under the chair, Paul Forde, to examine all research to date to provide advice as to the implications of all this research to the grant scheme. There is an independent appeals panel as well and that has commenced the process of assessing appeals.

Will the Taoiseach give a specific date for when the people currently on the scheme can avail of the 10%? We are talking about people who are on the scheme. This scheme works. People are phoning me - the majority of whom are on the scheme - crying because the 10% is enough to keep their debt at approximately €100,000. Can I get a date for when this 10% will be implemented?

I am not in a position to give the Deputy dates or timelines today. There is work to be done on the legislation. Suffice to say that a comprehensive commitment has been given here by the last Government and followed through by this Government. The NSAI is currently examining the situation in terms of the most up-to-date scientific advice in respect of all of this. We will continue to work with stakeholders and representative groups in pursuing this and in getting this scheme going, or rather not getting it going but continuing it. There are 2,000 people engaging at different stages of the scheme. We just need to deliver it as quickly and as timely as we possibly can. There is a significant grant. Huge money has been allocated. There is no point saying otherwise.