122. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage for an update on the progress of the apartment and duplex defects remediation scheme legislation; the current timeline for publication and enactment of the legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52058/26]

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 received the Report from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage in January this year. I expect the legislation to be placed before the Oireachtas this year.