Joe O’Brien TD Welcomes Government Scheme to Support Residents of Defective Apartments

19th January, 2023

Joe O’Brien TD has welcomed the announcement that residents in defective apartments will receive much needed support after Cabinet issued approval to draft legislation for a remediation scheme to address the problem. For many years, the Green Party has worked to prioritise the safety and welfare of people living in apartments that are not up to standard. The scheme will cover apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013 which suffer from fire safety, structural safety, and water damage defects.

Welcoming the announcement of the scheme, Joe O’Brien TD said:

“I’m very happy to welcome the approval for legislation to create a remediation scheme for thousands of homeowners and renters who have been living in unsafe, uninhabitable conditions and have been faced with extortionate bills through no fault of their own.

“I hope that this announcement will be of great reassurance to owner occupiers of defective apartments in Fingal who have been in touch with me previously about this issue that the Government is committed to ensuring that they are properly supported in remediating their homes. I know that there are apartment owners in Donabate, Malahide, Portmarnock, and other parts of Fingal who have been asking for this intervention.

“The Government’s announcement today echoes the concerns and issues the Green Party has been raising for years. The Defective Dwellings Bill which we published in 2021, aims to protect homeowners via a robust framework for legal remedies if defects are identified. The Green Party intends to pursue the enactment of this Bill to protect people and their homes.

“We also support the Government’s commitment to providing financial support to owner occupiers who have already funded remediation works out of their own pocket and welcome the reassurance that those currently carrying out works should continue to do so. I look forward to working through the detail of this process going forward.”

Minister Catherine Martin, who campaigned on this issue, praised the decision:

“I welcome the commitment by the Minister for Housing to deliver a funding scheme for remediation works for defective apartments. The Green Party secured a commitment in the Programme for Government that this issue would be addressed. This week’s announcement is the culmination of that work.

“A lot of apartment defects which pose risks relating to fire safety, water ingress and other structural problems affect common areas in apartment buildings such as corridors and stairways. Recognising that, the Government has this week announced that Owners’ Management Companies would be fully funded by the exchequer to cover the cost of remediating these defects. This will be a source of huge relief to tens of thousands of homeowners in affected properties.”