199. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he acknowledges that the revision of I.S. 465 strengthens the position of homeowners whose applications were downgraded by the Housing Agency and who have consistently argued that such downgrade decisions were legally and scientifically flawed; and if he will confirm that all downgrade appeals will continue to be heard by the appeals board. [47980/26]

200. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will confirm that the defective concrete blocks appeals boards will continue to hear and determine outstanding downgrade appeals without interruption or delay, given that all downgrade appeals determined to date have resulted in the Housing Agency's decisions being annulled; that those appeals were lodged and adjudicated on the basis of the existing I.S. 465 standard at the time; and that the revision of I.S. 465 on 2 June 2026 can only strengthen the position of appellants whose cases were prepared and submitted under the existing standard. [47981/26]

201. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if, in light of the fact that all downgrade appeals heard to date have resulted in the Housing Agency's decisions being annulled, he will direct that cases returned to the Housing Agency for re-assessment be dealt with immediately and as a priority; given that some homeowners have been engaged with the defective concrete blocks scheme since 2021 and their homes have continued to deteriorate in the interim. [47982/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 199, 200 and 201 together.

The Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 as amended by the Act of 2025 underpins the Grant Scheme which provides grant funding to people whose homes have been affected by Defective Concrete Blocks.

An Appeals Panel has been established to assess appeals made under the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the use of Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme.

The Appeals Panel is statutorily independent in the performance of their functions of myself as Minister, my Department and of the Housing Agency. My Department provides limited administrative support during the initial stage of the process, in that appeals submitted by homeowners are forwarded to the Panel.

Matters pertaining to the operation of the Panel, including the processing of appeals and determinations, would be a matter for the Chair of the Appeals Panel. It would not be appropriate for myself as Minister to make any comment on the work of the Panel.

However, I can confirm my Department wrote to the Chair of the Appeals Panel on 4 June 2026 advising him, in light of the recently revised standard I.S. 465:2026 published by the NSAI on 2 June 2026, that under Section 51 of the Act I intend to launch a review of the operation of the Act shortly. The Chair was also asked to consider how the appeals system can continue to operate in the best interests of homeowners in light of the publication of the revised IS465 standard.