1168. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the remediation scheme for apartments and duplexes impacted by fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects; the criteria for properties which will be included in the scheme; and when payments will be made to applicants. [44172/26]

Government approval was received on 18 September 2024 for the priority drafting of the Apartment and Duplex Defects Remediation Bill. The purpose of this legislation is to place the defects remediation Scheme on a statutory footing, further to commitments contained in the Programme for Government.

The Scheme will provide supports for the remediation of relevant fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013. It is envisaged that 100% of eligible remediation costs will be funded under the Scheme.

Only defects that are attributable to defective design, defective or faulty workmanship, defective materials (or any combination of these) and were in contravention of the Building Regulations applicable at the time of construction will be eligible for inclusion in the Scheme.

The Scheme will not cover defects arising from the building not being adequately maintained, sinking funds not being adequately funded to replace building and safety systems when they expired nor later building work not being managed correctly, leading to defects.

The General Scheme of the Bill completed pre-legislative scrutiny in December 2025, and I expect the legislation to be placed before the Oireachtas this year.

An Interim Remediation Scheme (Scheme) has been in place since December 2023, to provide an acceptable level of fire safety in buildings pending introduction of the Statutory Scheme and completion of the full remedial works. The Scheme is for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013. The Scheme is being administered by the Housing Agency on a nationwide basis. Applications can be made via the Housing Agency’s website at www.housingagency.ie

As of the end of May 2026, 273 applications to the Interim Remediation Scheme have been validated, having met the required eligibility criteria. These applications represent 23,325 residential units, with circa 74% in the Dublin region.

Four pathfinder projects have been approved for funding, in the amount of €23.7million and remediation works have commenced at two project locations. Payments in the amount of €3 million have been made to date. Payments will continue to be made for remediation works, where commenced and certified.

In February 2026, the Government announced significant changes to the interim Scheme which simplify procurement and cut through administrative hurdles, allowing works relating to fire detection and alarm systems to be completed more quickly while ensuring residents can remain safely in their homes until full building remediation is finished. The remediation process will prioritise the installation of fire detection and alarm systems ahead of full building remedial works which will follow under the upcoming statutory scheme.