Mayo homeowners 'anxiously await' legislation on retrospective defective blocks payments – TD
Mayo TD Keira Keogh has called for clarity for homeowners who are anxiously awaiting legislation on retrospective payments under the Defective Concrete Blocks Scheme.
Deputy Keogh is working on a weekly basis to advocate with Ministers Browne and Cummins to review and expand the scheme, on behalf of her constituents in Mayo.
During a Dáil debate on the scheme, Deputy Keogh welcomed the “important steps” taken by Government in recognising the scale of the housing defects crisis – including a €293 million allocation in Budget 2026 – but stressed that she feels a “deep sense of duty” to the reality on the ground.
“I must speak to the reality for families who are still waiting, still suffering, and still uncertain”, said Deputy Keogh.
“They’ve paid out of pocket, drained savings, and borrowed from family. Now they wait, unsure if funds will arrive, as they are under huge pressure to sign off on their houses and leave the scheme.
“I speak for my constituent who had to dig down 4.8 metres just to find solid foundations. That’s not a renovation; that’s a rescue mission. And yet, they face uncertainty as to whether the excess costs of stilts, removal of soil and rubble, and increased engineers’ fees, will be covered.
“I speak for another constituent with terminal cancer, who lies awake at night wondering if their children will be entitled to the scheme if the unimaginable comes to pass.
“I speak for families living in unsafe houses who want to knock and rebuild, but in this housing crisis, they have nowhere to go. They’re trapped between danger and displacement.
“I speak for families who didn’t convert their attics and are now being penalised, receiving less support than their neighbours. That’s not equity; it’s exclusion.
“Some of these people bought their homes in recent times, in good faith, only to discover pyrite. They’ve had to jump through hoop after hoop to prove they didn’t know about it. As if discovering pyrite wasn’t enough, they must now defend their innocence.
“Many of those who bought their homes at a different stage in life now wish to sell, rather than rebuild. Their circumstances have changed but the system hasn’t.
“These are not isolated cases. These are real people, real families, real lives. And while policy may be written in offices, its impact is felt in kitchens, bedrooms, and back gardens across the country. So today, I urge the government: finish what you started, honour the promises made, and deliver the review and the legislation needed urgently.
“Behind every cracked wall is a broken heart, and behind every delayed payment is a family holding on by a thread”, concluded Deputy Keogh.