15/10/2026
SECTION 17 – STILL NO RESPONSE FROM THE HOUSING MINISTER!
On 21 September, I wrote to the Minister for Housing seeking urgent clarification on when Section 17 of the Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Act 2025, along with the necessary associated provisions, would be commenced.
I am still awaiting a response.
Some of the longest-waiting homeowners in Donegal remain completely stuck in the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme.
These are families who were awarded remediation options up to 6 years ago, many of whom did not proceed because the options offered were unsuitable for the condition of their homes.
Their homes have continued to deteriorate, yet their applications remain with Donegal County Council, with no clear pathway to have their determinations formally reconsidered.
How much longer are these families expected to wait?
What concerns me most is the impact these delays are having on people's health, safety and wellbeing.
I am hearing from homeowners, including elderly people and those with existing medical conditions, who are living in properties affected by damp, mould, cold and worsening structural damage.
Some are reporting respiratory problems and concerns about how their living conditions are affecting their health. Others are experiencing enormous stress, anxiety and sleepless nights, worrying about whether their homes are safe and whether they will ever get the opportunity to rebuild their lives.
No elderly person should have to spend their retirement living in fear in a deteriorating home. No family should be left worrying about the impact their home is having on their children's health.
And yet, these homeowners remain trapped in a system that is preventing them from moving forward.
I am calling on the Minister to urgently:
🔴 Confirm when Section 17 and the necessary associated provisions will be commenced.
🔴 Clarify how affected homeowners can have their existing determinations reconsidered.
🔴 Ensure Donegal County Council and the Housing Agency are prepared to progress these applications without further delays.
🔴 Provide a clear timeframe and prioritise homeowners whose health or safety is at risk.
These families have already lost years of their lives waiting for a solution. Every additional delay means further deterioration of their homes, further financial hardship and potentially further harm to their physical and mental health.
This is not just about legislation or paperwork. These are people's homes, their health, their safety and their lives.
These homeowners are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for a fair opportunity to have their homes properly reassessed so they can finally move forward.
Minister, these families deserve answers, not more silence.
SECTION 17 MUST BE COMMENCED WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY.
