Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022

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Grants

10. (1) A grant approved under section 16 (4)(a)(ii) (in this Act referred to as a “remediation option grant”) to enable a relevant owner of a relevant dwelling to complete an approved remediation option in respect of the relevant dwelling shall be calculated in accordance with this section.

(2) A grant approved under section 22 (in this Act referred to as an “ancillary grant”), for any or all of the following, shall be calculated in accordance with this section:

(a) to enable, subject to section 22 (4)(a), a relevant owner to pay for accommodation alternative to the relevant dwelling where—

(i) the relevant dwelling is no longer habitable due to damage caused by the use of defective concrete blocks in its construction, or

(ii) the alternative accommodation is necessary during the carrying out of the remediation option;

(b) to enable a relevant owner to pay for the storage of contents of a relevant dwelling;

(c) to enable a relevant owner to complete immediate repairs to the relevant dwelling.

(3) A remediation option grant referred to in subsection (1) or, where applicable, the total amount of a remediation option grant and an ancillary grant referred to in subsection (1) and (2), shall not exceed the amount of €420,000.

(4) A grant—

(a) referred to in subsection (2)(a), shall be of an amount not exceeding €15,000,

(b) referred to in subsection (2)(b), shall be of an amount not exceeding €5,000, and

(c) referred to in subsection (2)(c), shall be of an amount not exceeding €5,000.

(5) Subject to subsection (3), a remediation option grant referred to in subsection (1) shall—

(a) where the approved remediation option is the demolition of the relevant dwelling and the reconstruction of the dwelling, be calculated by multiplying the internal floor area of the relevant dwelling, measured in square metres, by the cost per square metre, prescribed under section 12 , of completing the remediation option, and

(b) where the approved remediation option is other than that referred to in paragraph (a), be calculated by multiplying the number of square metres of defective concrete blocks in the relevant dwelling to be removed and replaced in accordance with the remediation option by the cost per square metre, prescribed under section 12 , of completing the remediation option.

(6) Where an approved remediation option is other than that referred to in subsection (5)(a), the remediation option grant shall—

(a) where the approved remediation option requires the removal and replacement of blocks in the outer and inner leaf of the external walls down to the foundation level of the relevant dwelling, be not more than 90 per cent of the maximum grant which could be given were the approved remediation option that referred to in subsection (5)(a), and

(b) where the approved remediation option requires the removal and replacement of blocks in the outer and inner leaf of the external walls down to the top of the rising walls of the relevant dwelling, be not more than 85 per cent of the maximum grant which could be given were the approved remediation option that referred to in subsection (5)(a).

(7) A relevant owner shall only be approved for a grant referred to in subsection (1) or (2) in respect of—

(a) one relevant dwelling of which he or she is a relevant owner by virtue of section 9 (3)(a), and

(b) one relevant dwelling of which he or she is a relevant owner by virtue of section 9 (3)(b).

(8) A relevant owner shall not be given a grant referred to in subsection (1) or (2) in respect of a relevant dwelling of which he or she is a relevant owner—

(a) by virtue of section 9 (3)(a), where a member of his or her household has previously, in respect of a different relevant dwelling of which that member is a relevant owner by virtue of section 9 (3)(a), been given such a grant, or

(b) by virtue of section 9 (3)(b) where a member of his or her household has previously, in respect of a different relevant dwelling of which that member is a relevant owner by virtue of section 9 (3)(b), been given a grant.

(9) A relevant owner may undertake works to a relevant dwelling in addition to the approved remediation option (referred to in this Part as “additional works”), but a grant shall not be approved under section 16 (4) for the purposes of completing the additional works.

(10) Subject to this section, the Minister may prescribe the methodology by which the amount of grant referred to in subsection (1) or (2) is to be calculated.

(11) In this section, “member of his or her household”, in relation to a relevant owner, means an individual with whom the relevant owner lives in a relevant dwelling and the individual has, in the opinion of the designated local authority, a reasonable requirement to live with the relevant owner.