’Unfair’ engineer fee rules for transitional DCB applicants highlighted - Donegal Daily

’Serious issues’ around the reimbursement of engineer report fees for transitional applicants under the Enhanced Defective Concrete Block Scheme have been descr...

'Serious issues' around the reimbursement of engineer report fees for transitional applicants under the Enhanced Defective Concrete Block Scheme have been described as 'unfair and unjust'.

Donegal County Councillor Joy Beard has outlined how clarification given by the Department of Housing to Donegal County Council on the status of transitional applicants has highlighted 'exclusions and unfair conditions buried in the detail.'

A transitional applicant refers to those who have applied under the previous scheme, whose application is and was transferred to the current system.

The 100% Redress Party Cllr said: "When the 2026 conditions came in, the published guidance said that transitional applicants could apply for reimbursement of the full cost of an engineer's report - that's up to €7000.

"It said that transitional applicants may apply to their designated Local Authority and that hasn't happened yet and why I've been pushing for this, for reimbursement of the full cost for full engineers report.

"This was before have received the damage threshold determination from the Housing Authority, if they have received a determination of the damage threshold not being met or if they have received the maximum remediation option grant amount.

"It said the cost of the engineer's report is not restricted by the maximum cap of the remediation option grant."

Cllr Beard continued: "And it can be recovered, basically to the lower of the actual costs of the 7000 euro. €7,000 is the maximum but the wording was so unclear Donegal County Council had to go back to the Department of Housing to seek clarification on how it was to operate and now the department has come back"

Cllr Beard outlined how a transitional applicant can now only make a separate claim for engineer's fees are receiving the full €462,000 remediation grant.

"That's very important, it's for remediation option grant only at €462,000.

"In simplified terms, a transitional applicant who paid, say, €7,000 euro for engineer's report and testing and received a remediation grant of €462,000 - they can apply to have that fee covered for reimbursement.

"But, an applicant who paid the very same €7000 and received a remediation grant of €461,000 - €1,000 different - are being told they cannot clam for that at all. They lose out on potentially €6,000 euro.

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"Because they can pay €1,000 euro, if they haven't had any ancillary costs claimed and can't claim the extra €6,000, because the remediation grant falls €1000 short of the cap.

"The €462,000 must be the remediation grant alone. Not the total amount received under the scheme.

"So, if you received ancillary support for rent and storage and the payment came to €462,000, this does not make you eligible.

"If the remediation grant itself was below 462,000, then you're excluded. This is the Government's interpretation.

"This is really wrong. People entering the scheme now don't face these engineer's report costs."

Cllr Beard said that the transitional applicants who 'did what was required of them,' are being placed at a financial disadvantage compared to those entering the scheme now.

"That flies in the face of the commitment that was given to homeowners by the former Housing Minister. He said that existing applicants under the previous scheme would not be disadvantaged by being early movers.

Cllr Beard added: "The Government has drafted unclear rules, that have left councils seeking clarification. It has adopted an interpretation that has leaved homeowners thousands of euros out of pocket."

Cllr Beard told how she will form part of a delegation meeting with the Department of Housing on Monday and will be raising the matter.

"I'll be putting to the department that this must be corrected. It doesn't make any sense at all."