Meath East TD Darren O’Rourke has called on the Government to act immediately and designate County Meath under the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme without further delay. Speaking during the Second Stage debate on the Remediation of Dwellings (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Sinn Féin TD highlighted the urgent plight of affected families in the county.
He said; “This crisis has devastated thousands of families. While the focus has rightly been on western counties, we cannot allow any county to be left behind. In Meath East, I am dealing with at least three families whose life savings are invested in homes that are now crumbling around them. They are living in distress and financial hardship.
“Meath County Council engaged with the Housing Agency on the matter, testing was carried out, and the Housing Agency has submitted its formal letter of recommendation to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The necessary evidence for inclusion has been submitted.
“The evidence is there. The need is urgent. Yet, families in Meath are still waiting for the green light. Every day of delay is unacceptable. They deserve the same fairness, equity, and access to support as homeowners in designated counties.
“The scheme itself is flawed and falls far short of Sinn Féin’s core demand for 100% redress for all impacted homeowners. But, while we fight to improve the scheme, we need to ensure those who need access to it have access to it, and that means expanding the scheme to include County Meath.
“This is about doing right by families failed by systemic construction oversight. I am calling on the Minister to designate County Meath now and ensure affected homeowners can apply for support. No county, and no family, should be left behind.”
