Government considering plan to bypass scrutiny on mica blocks bill

Department of Housing is keen to pass a bill to underpin the defective blocks scheme before the Dáil’s summer recess, but campaigners believe scrutiny is vital to make sure the legislation is satisfactory

Darragh O’Brien: the Housing Minister is keen to pass legislation to underpin the state’s defective blocks redress scheme through the Oireachtas before the summer recess. Picture: Rollingnews.ie

The government is considering a plan to bypass pre-legislative scrutiny of a bill that will underpin the multibillion-euro redress scheme for homeowners whose houses are damaged by defective concrete blocks, the Business Post understands.

Officials at the Department of Housing are currently drafting legislation to underpin the scheme, which has proved contentious amid fears among mica and pyrite campaigners that they may not get full redress grants to fix their homes.

The general scheme bill ...